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What is the scholarship for becoming an officer in the national guard?

I heard of scholarships for the military but I want to join as an officer in the national guard.

scholarships military army
Thank you comment icon Also, be sure to talk to a recruiter about the 'Simultaneous Membership Program'. In an nutshell, rather than just participating in your ROTC classes, you will actually be assigned to a unit while you are in college. You will attend regularly scheduled unit activities and gain far more experience than by just doing ROTC alone. As a NCO (a sergeant) I took mentoring my junior officers very seriously and the 'SMP' was a great way for them to learn all the skill they need as a leader, outside of a classroom. Scott Dunne
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James’s Answer

Each state is responsible for maintaining their own National Guard force. It will depend on the state you live in. The first step would be to reach out to a National Guard Recruiter in your state,
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Jamie’s Answer

Hey Brett-

George, Michael, and Ryan basically covered your question. However, I would offer one more piece of advice. If you have a college close by with an ROTC program, go talk to them. First, they will have information on whether they are offering scholarships and the likelihood that you might get one. Second, sometimes they have cadre that are Reservists in your state OR they have a connection to the local Reserve unit (a contact for training or a student at the school on a Reserve scholarship that PTs/trains with the ROTC). This may get you an additional person to ask your questions to. This person can also give you frank information on the unit (how is it?) and what Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) the unit needs. If they are short of what you want to train in, you are in luck (i.e., they need military police and that is what you want to be--Army example).

Hope this helps, best of luck! And thank you for wanting to serve your country.
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Michael’s Answer

Hi Brett,

Here is a link for scholarships in the Army National Guard.

https://www.nationalguard.com/tools/guard-scholarships

One can find more information and requirements that are needed to qualify for the scholarships.

Also, check with your high school guidance counselor to advise you more on military scholarships and the various military service academies.

Good luck with your education and best wishes for your pursuit as a career officer in the National Guard!
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George’s Answer

You need an appointment to talk with a RECRUITER.
Different states may have different programs. Programs change over time.
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Ryan’s Answer

Hi Brett! Both George's and Michael have offered great information. George is correct that looking into State Guard units can offer additional opportunities because each state may have their own programs. The link Michael provided is a great resource for National Guard scholarship information, including the minimum requirements.

The personal note I'll add that you should be wary of these scholarships, and be sure to read the fine print. Sometimes they require that you already be enrolled in your college of choice - which can be difficult if you're depending on the scholarship to be able to afford to go to school at all. Some may also require service commitments at the time of scholarship acceptance, meaning that once you accept the scholarship you may be required to serve even if you change your mind about school, have to drop out for some reason, or fall below a 2.5 GPA.

I received a 4-year Air Force ROTC scholarship my senior year of high school (5,000 applied, 200 winners). I was legally and financially committed on day one of my sophomore year. My class started with 200+, and about 25 of us graduated. I don't say this to toot my own horn - I just want to be sure you understand how competitive these kinds of scholarships can be, and that graduation is far from guaranteed just because you sign up and show-up. Guard scholarship can be even more competitive, because a lot of the time the individual guard units would rather award their scholarships to their own enlisted soldiers that are interested in becoming officers, since they know them personally, can access their chances of success, and know they can handle military life., verses awarding the scholarship to a total stranger / civilian right out of high school that may not even make it through the first week of basic training.

Of note, at the end of my 4-years of college, due to manpower requirements, we were given the option to go directly into the Reserves after graduation instead of active duty, but this option is not always guaranteed.

The National Guard is a great way to serve you country, but I would encourage you to consider ROTC. A 4-year active duty service commitment may sound like a long time while you're in high school, but I promise it goes by fast. Being active duty for a four years before switching to the Guard or Reserves will give you a big advantage in terms of knowledge and experience compared to commissioning directly into a Guard unit.

If you have any additional questions, especially about ROTC, please feel free to reach out to me.

~Captain Ryan Pfeiffer, USAF (2014-2018).
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