General Applicant Requirements

General Application Requirements

Citizenship: Applicants must be U.S. citizens by birth, naturalization, or in the process of obtaining citizenship (proof required).
Age: Applicants must be 17 by September 1 of the year entering college and under 23 by December 31 of that year. Candidates must not reach their 27th birthday before December 31 of their commissioning year. Age waivers may apply for prior active-duty service, up to 36 months.
Education: Applicants must hold or expect a high school diploma or equivalent by August 1 of their NROTC start year.
Commitment: Applicants must be willing, and have no moral obligations nor personal convictions, to bearing arms in order to uphold the Constitution of the United States.
College Eligibility: First-year college students at non-NROTC schools may apply for the National Scholarship, while those at NROTC schools should consult with their NROTC unit for alternative pathways to commissioning.
Military Service Obligation (MSO): Recipients serve eight years, with a minimum of five years active duty for Navy option or four years for Nurse option scholarships. If selected for the PREMED program, additional service obligations apply beyond the required five years for Navy option. See the PREMED page for more detailed information.
School Admission: Scholarship recipients must list five NROTC college choices in their application and must be admitted to at least one. Placement change requests are permitted if capacity allows. If a scholarship recipient does not gain admission to any of the schools listed on their application, they must work with the NROTC Placement Office to find a school within the NROTC network with available admission and unit capacity.

Service Members and ROTC Eligibility

Ineligibility for Active Duty Navy: Current active-duty Navy personnel are ineligible to apply through NAVCRUITCOM. Service members from other branches may apply with conditional release (DD Form 368).
Recruit Training Applicants: Applicants scheduled for Recruit Training Command (RTC) may apply but will not proceed to RTC without notification of selection status.

Application Process

High School Transcripts: Applicants may start applying in the second semester of their junior year, with transcripts submitted through junior or senior year.
Gap Period Statement: If not attending college, submit an activity statement or employer recommendation.
College Transcripts: For those attending college at a non-NROTC school, provide all transcripts, including fall term of the application period.
College Reference: If enrolled in college (must not be an institution with an NROTC Unit), submit a college professor’s recommendation after the fall term.

Academic Testing Requirements

SAT/ACT Minimum Scores: Minimum SAT (550 EBRW, 540 Math, combined 1100) or ACT (22 English, 21 Math, combined 44) scores are required.
AFQT Option: If SAT/ACT testing is inaccessible, an AFQT score of 81+ on the ASVAB is acceptable.
Score Validity: Test scores are valid up to four years before the application deadline.
Superscoring Policy: Applicants may combine the highest Math and English scores from multiple SAT or ACT tests, but not across different test types.

Fitness and Medical Requirements

NROTC Applicant Fitness Assessment (AFA): Applicants must complete an AFA with scores provided by a certified individual (e.g., PE teacher or coach). A completed AFA score sheet is mandatory for a valid application. The AFA cannot be conducted by a recruiter.
DoDMERB Physical Exam: Scholarship activation requires passing the DoD Medical Evaluation Review Board (DoDMERB) exam.