All Navy scholarships pay for FULL tuition, fees, and $375 per semester for textbooks for NROTC students. Students also receive a monthly tax-free stipend for 10 months during the school year as follows, and are paid for summer training and official travel: Freshman - $250; Sophomore - $300; Junior - $350; Senior - $400 per month. At Cornell, this scholarship could amount to $37,000 a year, or over $100,000 for four years. All scholarship programs lead to a commission as an officer in the Navy or Marine Corps.
Four year scholarships are offered as either a Navy or Marine Corps option, which can be chosen during application. Each scholarship option provides identical benefits and requires the same service obligation. The option selected will determine whether a graduating midshipmen becomes an Ensign in the United States Navy or a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.
Types of Scholarships
Four Year Scholarships
The four year scholarship program is only available to high school seniors . This scholarship provides all the benefits described above and leads to a commission in either the United States Navy or Marine Corps.
Three Year Scholarships
Three year scholarships are only available to Cornell freshmen. If you are interested in this scholarship, contact the Cornell NROTC Unit immediately. To qualify for this scholarship, at least one semester of participation in the Cornell Unit as a College Program midshipman must be completed before the end of your freshmen year.
Two Year Scholarships
Any student currently enrolled at Cornell or transferring to Cornell from either a 4-year university, a two year junior college, or a community college may apply for the two year scholarship. This scholarship begins junior year and carries all of the benefits of a four year scholarship. Prior to the junior year, students must attend the Naval Science Institute's six-week program in Newport, Rhode Island.
College Program
Any interested student may enter the College Program. Though not a scholarship, College Program midshipmen do receive uniforms and are paid for summer training and official travel. College Program midshipmen participate fully in the ROTC program and receive a commission upon graduation. If the College Program is initiated during the freshmen year, a midshipmen may apply for a three year scholarship. If entrance into this program occurs anytime before the second semester of the sophomore year, upgrade to a two year scholarship is still available.
During the application process...
When applying for a Naval ROTC Scholarship, request Cornell University as your first choice university. However, if you do request another school, you can always change your scholarship to Cornell. To do so, go to the NROTC Scholarship website and use the contact information there to make a phone call or send an email in order to make this change on your application.
If you have a specific question about the scholarship or the navy that this site or its links does not answer, please contact the Cornell NROTC Unit by email, or via US mail at:
Cornell Naval ROTC Unit
Barton Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853