Opportunity for an Army Officer's Commission
Every qualified student has the opportunity to compete for a commission as an officer in either the active Army or the U.S. Army Reserve through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program. Earning a commission is both voluntary on the part of the individual and selective by the Department of the Army.
Students who desire to earn a commission and who are accepted in the ROTC program are placed on contract with the Army, normally at the beginning of the sophomore year. In return for agreeing to serve as an officer, the student on contract receives a non-taxable allowance of $350 per month as a sophomore, $450 per month as a junior and $500 a month as a senior for up to 20 months while in college. Contract students attend a four-week ROTC summer camp between the junior and senior years of college. The student is reimbursed for travel expenses to and from the camp and is paid during the camp period at one-half the current rate of second lieutenants in the Army.
ROTC contract students may apply to be commissioned in the active Army or Reserve components. The Department of the Army annually authorizes the selection of a number of outstanding seniors to be designated Distinguished Military Students (DMS). Students so chosen must be in the upper half of their class academically, must be in the upper third in military science studies and the upper third of their class Order of Merit List (OML), and must demonstrate outstanding potential for service as officers.