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May 30, 2019
Defense Primer: Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps
Background
funding and land to establish public colleges in each state.
The Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps (SROTC)—
These colleges taught military tactics along with other
more commonly referred to as the Reserve Officer Training
subjects. However, the implementation and quality of
Corps (ROTC)—is an officer training and scholarship
military instruction across these schools lacked
program for postsecondary students authorized under
standardization. The National Defense Act of 1916 (P.L.
Chapter 103 of Title 10 United States Code. By enrolling in
65-84) abolished the land-grant system for military
ROTC, students can pursue an undergraduate degree while
education and created an ROTC structure to standardize and
also training to become U.S. military officers. The military
enhance military training for the Army. In 1925, under P.L
departments — Army, Air Force, and Navy — manage
68-611, the Navy was allowed to participate in ROTC.
their own ROTC programs, which are hosted at civilian
Congress added a naval scholarship program in 1946 (P.L
universities and colleges. The Navy ROTC program
79-729).
includes a Marine Corps option. The Coast Guard, part of
In 1964, following a decline in ROTC enrollment, Congress
the Department of Homeland Security, does not have an
passed the ROTC Vitalization Act (P.L. 88-647). The Act
ROTC program, but does offer a College Student Pre-
standardized the program across the Army, Navy, and Air
Commissioning Initiative (CSPI) that awards scholarships
Force, and authorized the department secretaries to pay for
to students at minority-serving institutions and placement in
ROTC participants’ educational expenses, including tuition,
the Coast Guard Officer Candidate School. The military
fees, and books. It capped the number of participants who
departments provide scholarships and other forms of
could receive financial assistance at 16,500 (5,500 for each
financial assistance to participating students. In return,
department). The military departments lifted restrictions on
students commit to accept an appointment as an officer in
full participation by women in ROTC programs in 1969
the U.S. military upon graduation.
(Air Force) and 1972 (Army and Navy).
The ROTC program is the largest single source of
commissioned officers, producing over 6,000 officers
Past Controversies
annually (see Figure 1). Other major commissioning
Historically, ROTC programs have been seen by military
sources include service academies (the U.S. Naval
and civilian stakeholders as an opportunity to augment
Academy, the U.S. Military Academy, and the U.S. Air
force structure and foster civilian-military relations. At
Forces Academy); Officer Candidate/Training Schools; and
times, however, the presence of ROTC units and students
direct appointment. According to DOD budget documents,
on campus has been, contentious. During the Vietnam War
over 55,000 students were enrolled in ROTC programs in
era, student antiwar protests were widespread, and at
FY2018.
several universities ROTC programs were downgraded to
an extracurricular or denied access to on-campus facilities
Figure 1. Commissioned Officer Gains in FY2017
and support. As a result, the military shuttered the ROTC
programs at some universities. For example, in 1969, the
Navy chose not to renew its contract with Yale University
following a faculty member vote to disallow academic
credit for ROTC courses.
In the 1990s, additional controversies around the ROTC
program arose due to DOD’s admission and separation
policy for homosexual individuals. This policy, known as
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), became law in 1993 as part
of the FY1994 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L.
103-160, §571). Some faculty members and students
criticized DADT for being discriminatory and some
universities barred ROTC programs from their campuses,
citing rules protecting LGBTQ individuals from
Source: CNA Population Representation in the Military Services.
discrimination.
Notes: ROTC includes both scholarship and non-scholarship,
OCS/OTS includes Officer Candidates School (OCS), Aviation OCS,
In 1996, as part of the FY1996 NDAA (P.L. 104-106,
Officer Training School (OTS), and Platoon Leaders Course (PLC).
§541), Congress passed legislation that denied certain
Legislative History
federal funding to any higher education institution that
prohibited or prevented the operation of ROTC units,
During the Civil War, Congress passed the Land Grant Act
recruiting activity, or student participation in ROTC on its
of 1862 (P.L. 37-130; also called the Morrill Act) to address
a shortage of trained military officers. The act provided
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Defense Primer: Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps
campus. In 2010, DADT was repealed (P.L. 111-321), and
ROTC curriculum requirements vary, as enrollees study
ROTC programs began to re-appear.
military department-specific topics. For instance, enrollees
in the Navy ROTC program are required to take naval
Establishing ROTC Programs
science courses, while Air Force enrollees take courses in
Per DOD policy (DODI 1215.08), institutions that wish to
aerospace studies. Participants also attend summer training
establish an ROTC program can apply to a military
courses for further military instruction.
department, asking permission to host an ROTC
detachment. To be eligible for consideration, an educational
ROTC Participation and Scholarships
institution must be accredited, per 10 U.S.C. §2102, and
Postsecondary students can choose to participate in the
adopt “as a part of its curriculum, a four-year course of
ROTC program in one of two ways: they can (1) formally
military instruction or a two-year course of advanced
enroll in the program and attend ROTC courses, or (2)
training of military instruction, or both.” The institution
remain unenrolled but attend ROTC courses like any other
must give the senior ROTC officer on campus the academic
university course. Students who do not formally enroll in
rank of professor and grant academic credit for ROTC
the ROTC program do not incur a service obligation.
courses.
Students who choose to formally enroll in the ROTC
Once these conditions are met, the military department
program can be either noncontract enrollees or contract
decides whether to establish an ROTC program. That
enrollees. Noncontract enrollees are not obligated to serve
decision, DOD policy states, “will be based on the most
in the armed forces, do not receive financial assistance
efficient allocation of limited resources to meet the specific
(e.g., scholarships), and generally can only take freshman-
needs of the Military Department concerned.”
and sophomore-level ROTC courses. Contract enrollees are
obligated to serve in the armed forces and accept an
According to DOD policy, ROTC programs may be
appointment as a commissioned officer upon graduation.
affiliated with institutions in one of four ways:
They are required to serve a specified number of years in
Host Unit: all activities are located on that school’s
the active and/or reserve component (per 10 U.S.C. §2107).
campus.
In return for their service, the military departments help to
cover contracted enrollees’ educational costs. However, if
Extension Unit: students are affiliated with another
an enrollee breaks the commitment, he or she may have to
school’s host unit but participate in activities and classes
reimburse the department for their educational expenses.
at their own institution.
ROTC scholarships are merit-based, and help to cover all or

a portion of tuition, fees, and other expenses (e.g., books,
Cross-Town Unit: students can enroll in courses at a
and living expenses) for two to four years. High school
host unit at another university.
seniors can compete for ROTC scholarships at the national

level. Postsecondary students enrolled in an institution with
Consortium: several institutions come together to share
an ROTC affiliation can also compete for scholarships.
resources (e.g., facilities and staff), in order to maximize
Typically, qualification for scholarships is based on GPA,
efficiency.
test scores, and certain medical and fitness standards.
In recent years, the military departments have tried to close
ROTC Funding and Enrollment
some ROTC units—some of which commission as few as a
Congress appropriates money for the ROTC program
dozen officers per year. The proposed closures have been
through two accounts: Operation and Maintenance (O&M)
controversial. In 2013, the Army planned to close 13 ROTC
and Military Personnel (MILPERS). According to DOD
detachments. The Army’s decision generated pushback,
budget documents, enacted amounts for ROTC in FY2019
particularly from some Members of Congress and
were $782 million in O&M and $174 million in MILPERS.
university alumni. The Army announced it would postpone
O&M funding provides for scholarships, travel and per
the closures, and, in the Consolidated Appropriations Act
diem, contractual support, and other equipment or supply
for FY2016 (P.L. 114-113, §8032), Congress prohibited the
needs. MILPERS funding covers cadet and midshipman
use of funds made available by the act for the
pay and allowances (including monthly subsistence pay),
disestablishment of any existing Army ROTC unit. This
uniforms, and stipends (more information on ROTC
provision has been included in all subsequent annual
entitlements can be found in DOD’s Financial Management
appropriations bills through FY2019.
Regulation, Volume 7A, Chapter 59).
ROTC Curriculum
ROTC enrollment has remained relatively constant in
The ROTC program consists of a basic course and an
recent years. The Army has the largest ROTC program with
advanced course. The basic course includes training and
approximately 30,000 enrollees. The Air Force and Navy
electives—including at least one military-related course per
have approximately 15,000 and 6,000 enrollees,
semester—during a student’s freshman and sophomore
respectively.
years. If a student enrolls in the basic course, there is no
service obligation. However, if a student accepts a
Note: Former CRS Research Assistant Wil Mackey
scholarship, then he or she incurs a service commitment.
contributed to this In Focus.
After completing the basic course, some students continue
to the advanced course where they take additional electives
and participate in field training.
Kristy N. Kamarck, Specialist in Military Manpower
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Defense Primer: Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps

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