In accordance with governing directives outlined on https://www.netc.navy.mil/NROTC, the requirements for membership in NROTC are:

• U.S. Citizenship, a Naturalized U.S. Citizen or in process of becoming a Naturalized U.S. Citizen (See Note 1)
• Not less than 17 years old and not yet 23 by September 1 of the year starting college.
• Must not have reached 27th birthday upon graduation and commissioning.
• Applicants with prior military service may be eligible for age adjustments for amount of time equal to their prior service, on month-by-month basis, for maximum of 36 months, if they will not reach their 29th birthday upon commissioning.
• Applicants must have no criminal record of military or civilian offenses pending or federal convictions.
• High school graduation or equivalency certificate by August 1 of year of entrance into four-year Navy ROTC Scholarship program.
• No moral obligations or personal convictions that prevent conscientious bearing of arms and supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic or to taking an oath to perform such acts.
• Medically qualified by Navy or Marine Corps standards.
• You must not have any body piercing or tattoos that violate Navy or Marine Corps policy.
• Navy and Nurse Option Only
  • Students with 30 or more semester hours or students with 45 or more quarter hours of college credit upon submission of the online application are not eligible for the NROTC National Scholarship. It is recommended that these students contact the Professors of Naval Science at the Host University's NROTC Unit to discuss other scholarship opportunities.
    • College credits do not count until an applicant has graduated high school and completed a term of college; then all college credits earned (prior to and after high school graduation) count towards the eligibility requirements.
    • If you are a high school graduate and complete a term of college prior to submitting your application, all college credits earned (in high school and in college) are counted towards the credit limit.
    • If you are a high school graduate and are currently attending/enrolled in college, all college credits anticipated to be earned during the application year (defined as April to December) will count towards the credit limit

NOTE 1: 

Scholarship selectees must be a U.S Citizen in order to activate the scholarship. Scholarship selectees must obtain their U.S. citizenship and activate their scholarship within the first academic year after the stated scholarship offer begin date listed in their scholarship notification letter or their scholarship offer will be rescinded. retroactive benefits will not be approved for those selectees who delayed activating their scholarship due to not obtaining their U.S. citizenship. Applicants with dual citizenship may apply and, if selected, activate their scholarship but must renounce their citizenship to the other country and surrender the passport for that country in order to continue in the Navy ROTC Program.

NOTE 2: 

The academic requirements for initial enrollment and subsequent maintenance of good standing in NROTC are a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale and academic credit hours satisfactory to VMI. Programs of "probation" and "leave of absence" are used to assist a midshipman who may have academic problems. However, if a midshipman cannot overcome his/her academic difficulties within a reasonable number of semesters, he/she will no longer be enrolled.

The Commanding Officer of the NROTC Unit, VMI, who is also the Professor of Naval Science (PNS), determines who will be enrolled, placed on probation, leave of absence, or no longer enrolled.

More Information:

• Naval Education and Training Command
• Naval Service Training Command

At VMI, the NROTC program provides enrolled midshipmen different financial assistance and monetary allowances dependent on whether they are in the scholarship or college program. The following assistance is provided for the:

Scholarship Program: 

• Tuition: Type I Scholarship (100%) both resident and nonresident.
• Comprehensive Fees: (yearly) 100%
• Diploma: 100%
• Textbooks: $375 per semester book stipend
• Subsistence: A subsistence allowance of $250 per month for 10 months a year (maximum of 40 months). This amount increases by $50 each academic year.
• Uniforms: An annual uniform commutation allowance of $815 is provided to help defray the cost of naval uniforms. Naval uniforms required for summer training are provided by the NROTC Unit.
• Summer Training: During summer training midshipmen are paid approximately $500 per month.
• Travel: Travel expenses for Midshipmen are paid in conjunction with NROTC training.

College Program:

• Subsistence: A subsistence allowance of $5000 for the junior year and $4000 for the senior year (advanced standing only).
• Uniforms: An annual uniform commutation allowance of $815 is provided to help defray the cost of naval uniforms. Naval uniforms required for summer training are provided by the NROTC Unit.
• Summer Training: During summer training midshipmen are paid approximately $500 per month.
• Travel: Travel expenses for Midshipmen are paid in conjunction with NROTC training.

(DOES NOT APPLY TO ROOM, BOARD, AND QUARTER-MASTER’S FEE AT VMI)

The NROTC academic program consists of three parts. Both Scholarship and College Program Midshipmen are required to complete the entire program as a prerequisite for commissioning.

1. VMI academic fields of study:

Midshipmen in the Navy Scholarship program are strongly encouraged to pursue majors in engineering and hard science curricula in order to meet the technical demands of today's Navy. The process of selecting potential Navy scholarship winners is oriented towards the selection of cadets pursuing technical degrees.

There is no requirement that Marine Option Midshipmen either on scholarship or seeking a scholarship pursue a technical major.

2. Required Courses:

All NROTC Midshipmen must take the courses listed in the VMI Academic Catalogue according to their option.

3. Other courses taught by VMI professors:

The Navy specifies the following courses, taught by VMI faculty, as a part of the Naval Science academic curriculum:

SCN:  Navy Scholarship; CPN:  Navy College Program SCM:  Marine Scholarship; CPM:  Marine College Program

Scholarship program midshipmen are trained for approximately four to six weeks during each summer between academic years. During the first summer, midshipmen are briefly exposed to the varying career options in Naval Aviation, Surface, Subsurface, and the Marine Corps at various bases in the United States. The second summer's training is a cruise aboard an operational ship in the fleet, located anywhere in the world. During the third summer, candidates for Navy commissions cruise aboard fleet operational ships, at home and abroad, serving in the capacity of junior officers. Marine Corps candidates are evaluated and screened for commissioning at Quantico, Virginia. Summer training is a critical facet of the four year NROTC curriculum, continuing at sea the lessons introduced in the classroom. This opportunity to participate in current operations around the world is unparalleled. Few midshipmen return from cruise without having had several eye-opening experiences.

VMI has two professional organizations in which all midshipmen are encouraged to become involved, the Trident Society and Semper Fi Society. These organizations have been developed around a three pronged agenda:

• Professional: Functions such as guest lecturers and base visits designed to enhance the midshipmen's professional development.
• Service: Active community service programs that include projects such as "Adopt a Highway" and "Toys for Tots."
• Social: Provide intermittent functions that allow midshipmen to socialize and to get away from the daily rigors of VMI. Such events include field meets and picnics.

Introduction trips are offered at various times throughout the year for NROTC Midshipmen interested in submarine warfare, aviation, surface warfare, and Marine Corps specialties. These trips are to such places as Charleston, SC, Pensacola, FL, Norfolk, VA, Washington, D.C., and Camp Lejeune, NC.

The Navy and Marine Corps Birthdays are celebrated each year in accordance with the tradition of the Naval service. The Midshipmen Battalion holds this events annually.

Currently, a complement of two Marine Officers, one Marine Gunnery Sergeant, six Navy Officers are assigned to the Naval ROTC staff at VMI.

If you want to know more about the NROTC Unit, Scholarships, or how Midshipmen fit into the VMI Corps of Cadets, read our Fact Book. If you cannot find the information you are seeking within the fact book, then please contact us by email, at the links on the left of this page.

The Naval ROTC Unit was established at VMI on 1 July 1974. NROTC classes commenced with the beginning of the school term in August 1974.

The establishment of the VMI NROTC Unit is a continuation of the long-standing tradition of mutual respect and service between VMI and the Naval service, especially the U.S. Marine Corps.

Alumni General and Flag Officers

Alumni Medal of Honor Recipients