ROTC Schools

• State-funded high schools have ROTC programs, as do state-funded and federally funded colleges and universities. Some private institutions also feature ROTC programs. One of the Army's official websites, GoArmy.com, allows potential cadets to search by school name to ensure their educational institution offers an ROTC program. According to the Army, most high schools, colleges and universities have ROTC programs.
  
  

Coursework

• ROTC, also called cadets, can advance in rank just like soldiers do. In high school, ROTC cadets learn basic military leadership techniques, military customs and courtesies, and Army traditions. High school cadets meet at least bi-weekly and have 24-hour access to Army recruiters who provide scholarship information and college guidance. College cadets meet for at least six credit hours per semester to learn military subjects, such as history and tactical reasoning, and are responsible for conducting group physical training at least four days per week. College cadets will graduate as commissioned officers in the U.S. Army. Senior cadets, classified as those who are in their final two years of ROTC, must attend the Leader Development and Assessment Course at Fort Lewis, Washington.
  
  

Scholarships

• Cadets may apply for Army scholarships. The conditions of an Army scholarship include incurring a service requirement. Cadets going to college on full scholarships do not have to repay the Army financially. However, cadets with scholarships do have to sign a contract with the Army that requires them to serve in the Army for a predetermined amount of time. The Army asks for a minimum of eight years of service as repayment for the scholarship. However, only four of those years must be served on Active Duty status. The other four may be served in the Independent Ready Reserves. In the IRR, soldiers are simply required to be available for recall to Active Duty status; they do not report or receive a paycheck from the Army.
  
  

Finances

• High school cadets are not paid because high school ROTC is a program for persons under the age of 18. Cadets who are still in high school are not under any contractual obligation to the U.S. Army and may stop attending at any time. However, college-level cadets may be entitled to monthly stipends and bi-monthly paychecks from the Army. College-level cadets receiving Army scholarships are entitled to receive a monthly stipend for living expenses that ranges from $300 to $500 per month. The stipend is based upon the amount of time the cadet has served in ROTC. Currently enlisted soldiers who left Active Duty or Reserve Component status to join ROTC may still be eligible to receive monthly paychecks if they are part of the Army's Green to Gold program.
  
  

Rank

• High school cadets may enlist in the Army immediately after graduation. However, they will not be able to become officers in the Army without a college degree. As high school ROTC graduates, cadets may be eligible to enter the Army at the rank of Private First Class if they meet the Army's current requirements. College ROTC graduates enter the Army as 2nd Lieutenants with an officer's commission directly from the President of the United States. College ROTC graduates are assigned to an Active Duty Army unit approximately 90 days before graduation and must report when ordered.