In the News…
Discover Law School
January 31, 2012
On February 16, 2012 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm the five Georgia Law Schools (Atlanta’s John Marshall, Emory University, Georgia State University, Mercer University, and University of Georgia) are joining together to host a DiscoverLaw Program to educate students of all ages and backgrounds about law school and the application process. The program will include information on pre-law advisement, paying for law school, and legal careers; a question and answer panel with law school admissions professionals; and a mock law school class.
Anyone interested in law school is encouraged to attend, including college graduates; currently enrolled college, community college, or high school students; and their advisors and guests.
Please RSVP to Denienne Steele at dsteele1@gsu.edu and register with DiscoverLaw at http://www.discoverlaw.org/register.asp
U.S. Department of State Internships
January 28, 2012The U.S. Department of State’s Fall 2012 Student Internship Program is now accepting applications.
Click here (http://careers.state.gov/students/programs) to read more about the Student Internship Program, and to start the Gateway to State online application process. Please note that the deadline to submit completed applications is March 02, 2012.
To be eligible for this program, you must be:
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Be a full- or part-time continuing college or university junior, or graduate student (including graduating seniors intending to go on to graduate school).
- Have good academic standing
- Successfully complete a background investigation
- Be able to receive either a Secret or Top Secret clearance.
Please read the entire vacancy announcement carefully for all qualifications and requirements.
You can also visit our Student Programs forum (http://careers.state.gov/engage/forums/student-programs) to post questions or read discussions about this program.
Chi Gamma Gamma Chapter Scholarship
January 28, 2012The Chi Gamma Gamma chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., is accepting applications for the 2012 scholarship award.
Scholarship is for a male high school senior, who will graduate in the spring of 2012, who resides in the Cobb County or North Fulton County.
Please download the instruction guide and application using the following link.
2012 XGG Scholarship Application
Deadline is Saturday, March 31, 2012.
College Planning Seminar
January 20, 2012
College planning is a knowledge intensive process, full of hurdles, confusion, and overwhelming, as thousands of high school seniors recently discovered. This workshop simplifies the process and provides a comprehensive, easy-to-follow set of strategies that can be specifically tailored to any audience by:
- providing students and families with a full scope of strategies to follow, beginning as students enter middle school. Students and parents will be well prepared to put together high quality college application packages to substantially increase the odds of students getting accepted into their top choice colleges and universities.
- providing teachers, coaches, and counselors with strategies for building the necessary relationships with students and families so that students and families are proactive in developing comprehensive college-bound plans.
- providing representatives from PTA/PTSAs, churches, and community organizations with the necessary training to better support students and families in developing comprehensive college-bound plans.
- providing school-based planning teams with strategies for integrating college planning into advisory and home room.
- providing coaches, band directors, art, dance, and drama teachers with strategies that will open the college pathway to thousands of dollars in scholarships and need-based aid for their students.
Contact our offices to be placed onto our mailing list so you will be notified of a seminar near you or have a representative from PTA/PTSA, church, school, or community organization contact us to arrange for a seminar in your community.
Building Faith-based Partnerships
January 11, 2012
One of the most pressing challenges in communities, both in the U.S. and abroad, is closing the achievement gap between Black males and their counterparts from other demographic groups. Our partnership with the Turner Chapel AME Church Education Ministry has yielded some important and impressive successes that other communities can learn from. Pictured above are students whom we begin working with to prepare for the Georgia Criterion-Reference Competency Testing (CRCT). Through such early interventions, our students will not only be better prepared to be admitted into college, they will be prepared to succeed in college.
Through our strategies, we have been able to:
- Create an institutional focus on student achievement
- Establish expectations and publicly celebrate student achievement
- Inspire students to establish personal achievement goals
- Provide support mechanisms for students to achieve their goals
- Empower experts to lead
- Build partnerships to expand
- Engage in continual debriefing/preplanning to assess and revise strategies
These strategies have resulted in a broad range of programs, initiatives, and support mechanisms for students in elementary school through college:
- A biannual celebration of student achievement for students in grades K – 12 earning a 3.0 GPA or higher we have successfully raised academic expectations and parent awareness of the importance of tracking their child’s grades semester to semester, and from year to year. We offer special award for the male and female students in grades 6 – 12 who have the highest overall GPA.
- Georgia CRCT (Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests) Prep for students in grades 3 – 8 through our partnerships with High Points Learning (online math tutorial) and Pathways Educational Services (math teachers/tutors).
- A comprehensive series of college-planning workshops outlining the importance of course selection, academic rigor, school choice, summer programs, enrichment opportunities, college research, essay writing, interviewing, scholarships, financial aid, completing the FAFSA, and the importance of community service.
- SAT Prep and college tours through our partnership with Pathways Educational Services to expose students to college campuses, college admissions officers, and the type of SAT and ACT scores that colleges are looking for in applicant pool.
- An annual college fair with over 50 colleges and universities represented. HBCUs, state colleges and universities, Ivy League, Technical Colleges, and the U.S. Service Academies are all represented so that our students can learn firsthand what it will take to prepare for college.
- A leadership program for high school students, the Education Ministry Youth Ambassadors. This program is designed to ensure they develop the presentation, public speaking, and leadership skills that will make them competitive candidates for the most selective colleges and universities.
- A high school graduation celebration for our high school seniors, who attend public and private secondary schools in as many as 8 different school districts. We recognize, celebrate, pray, and bless them with financial awards as we send them off to a broad range of institutions of higher education (HBCU, Ivy League, State Colleges and Universities, Military Academies, and Liberal Arts Colleges).
- An Adopt-a-Grad program where we remain connected to our college students. They are invited to participate on our annual college panel, relied upon to mentor students enrolling at their college or university, and are provided with scholarship and internship opportunities.
We are not relying on a “Program,” but a set of “Strategies.” These strategies have yielded extraordinary results. Our students have participated in a board range of enrichment and pre-college summer programs, received full scholarships to a broad range of colleges and universities, have been recognized as National Merit and Gates Millennium Scholars. Our students have earned near perfect scores on the Georgia Writing Assessment, CRCT, SAT, and ACT.
These strategies provide a comprehensive model that any faith-based or community organization can model. Schools cannot do it alone. Based on the 2011 ACT results, nearly 8 out of 10 of all high school seniors took the ACT with aspirations of attending a 4-year college of university. However, less than 4 out of 10 were considered “college ready” in each of the subject areas tested. For Black students, only 4 out of 100 were college ready.
Please contact us to learn how your church or community organization can develop such strategies to meet the needs of students and families in your local community.
(678) 395-5825 or email mychalwynn@accessandequity.org.
Download Faith-based PowerPoint Slides
Download the Collaborative Conference for Student Achievement Presentation…
Click here for videos of some of these initiatives …
Increasing Black Male Achievement (WCPSS)
January 9, 2012
Wake County Public Schools’ Saturday Speaker Institute
I was honored at having been invited to speak at the distinguished Wake County Public Schools’ Saturday Speaker Institute. I was equally gratified to have so many educators set aside their Saturday to engage in discussions with colleagues around the very important issue of Increasing Black Male Achievement.
Some of the important information shared was:
- Disaggregated student performance and college enrollment data and how it should be used to drive strategic discussions
- The importance of identifying successful Black males at the secondary school and postsecondary school level to engage in conversations with Black males in elementary, middle, and high school
- How to develop strategies that are “Research-Responsive”
- The importance of understanding your personal journey and how it can connect you to the challenges, experiences, hopes, and dreams of your students
- Why you must focus your strategic discussions on those areas that you believe to be the greatest contributing factors to the low performance of Black males within your school community
- The importance of identifying and supporting the “Champions” within your school community as exemplified by such champions as Marva Collins, Urban Prep Charter High School, and Morehouse College
From the table discussions and the commitment that many in attendance made to immediately implementing strategies provides us with hope. The personal responsibility that many accepted to implement strategies within their personal sphere of influence provides an example—we need not wait on new programs, a new curriculum, or new policy. We can make a difference in the academic outcomes and shape a more positive future for children today. We can make a difference through the relationships that we cultivate and strategies that we implement.
Navigating the College Admissions Process
January 2, 2012
For the first time, through our partnership with the Turner Chapel AME Church Education Ministry, we offered free college application packaging sessions over the course of three days, during the week following Christmas, for high school seniors. These sessions were in response to the frustration expressed by a number of parents and students regarding the difficulty in navigating the college admissions process and the difficulty experienced by many students with writing scholarship essays. Such research studies as, “Barriers to College Attainment: Lessons from Chicago, Can I Get a Little Advice here? How an Overstretched High School Guidance System is Undermining Students’ College Aspirations, and From High School to the Future: Potholes on the Road to College,” provides insight into why so many students are “under matched” in the college choices. The difficulty in navigating the college admissions process results in many students who are academically capable of getting accepted into highly selective colleges and universities from even applying to such colleges and universities.
Even with offering to freely provide the necessary college application packaging support for students, nearly all of the students and parents who had signed up for the sessions, failed to actually attend. The only two students to actually show up, were my son and a friend who is both a member of our church and student at his high school. Fortunately for my son and his friend, the absence of other students meant that they had more personalized attention with writing their essays and preparing their college application packages.
I had no idea that this would be such a daunting task. In fact, it consumed the better part of three days and nights with my son’s final college applications being submitted close to the midnight deadline on New Year’s eve. Almost much has been written about the college admissions process and the importance of carefully creating a student’s college application packages, we learned some valuable lessons.
- The earlier that a student identifies the types of colleges and universities that he or she will be interested in attending, the sooner he or she will be able to begin to identify the types of classes, programs, extracurricular activities, and community service that are best aligned with each colleges’ institutional needs and admissions expectations. For example, we were initially concerned with our son’s lack of having engaged in a broad range of community service activities. However, we discovered that his most passionate areas of community service, which he had been engaged in for several years at our church, were directly aligned with some of the institutional priorities of the colleges he was interested in applying to.
- The importance of reviewing the essay questions on the Common Application website and the specific questions within the supplements for the colleges and universities a student is interested in applying to. Some of the essay prompts and university-specific questions will require a great deal of thought, as well as editing by a teacher or parent.
- The importance of students allowing enough time to carefully review their packages and allowing for the opportunity of having their packages reviewed by others for misspellings, incorrect word usage, and fragmented thoughts in their essays. Students should keep in mind that their application will be reviewed along with thousands of other applications and that they will be competing with thousands of other students for a limited number of invitations for admissions at the colleges and universities they apply to.
Some of the questions that our son had to answer or write essay responses to were:
Considering both the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying and the unique aspects of our university, what do you hope to learn from and contribute to our university community?
Engineering leaders do more than just solve technical problems. What kinds of experiences, inside and outside of the classroom, would you want to explore to enhance your studies?
Engineers have sometimes been stereotyped as “nerds” or “geeks.” Do you embrace or reject that stereotype? Why?
A distinctive feature of our curriculum is the opportunity to be the architect of your education. Why does this academic environment appeal to you?
We all exist within communities or groups of various sizes, origins, and purposes; pick one and tell us why it is important to you, and how it has shaped you.
What does the following quotes mean to you:
“Stereotyped beliefs have the power to become self-fulfilling prophesies for behavior.”
“It seems to me incumbent upon this and other schools’ graduates to recognize their responsibility to the public interests…unless the graduates of this college…are willing to put back into our society those talents, the broad sympathy, the understanding, the compassion. Then obviously the presuppositions upon which our democracy are based are bound to be fallible.”
Setting aside this time to assist my son and his friend was truly beneficial. We are hopeful that they will be accepted into each of the colleges they applied so that they will have the opportunity to review and compare multiple financial aid offers. However, knowing that they had the necessary guidance and support to ensure that they submitted quality application packages to each of the schools and they are well prepared to be competitive candidates for admission is reward in itself.
The experience has taught us how important our efforts are in assisting students with pursuing their college-bound dreams. No matter how many students take advantage of the opportunity, we are comforted with knowing that we have ensured that help, that is rarely offered by their high schools, is available to widen the pathway to college.
Wesleyan College for Women Scholarships
January 2, 2012It is critically important that students thoroughly research the available scholarship programs at the colleges and universities that they are considering, and particularly those that they are interested in applying. For example, the Wesleyan College for Women in Georgia has a broad range of scholarships for incoming students that can substantially reduce the tuition burden for qualifying students.
2011-2012 Academic Scholarships & Eligibility Requirements
| Scholarship | Value | Number | Minimum Eligibility Requirements |
| National Excellence | Full Tuition, Room & Board | National Merit or Achievement Finalist, National Hispanic Scholar. | |
| Pitts | $18,500 Annually | Varies | Outstanding commitment to community service, leadership, and The United Methodist Church (3.0GPA & 1000 SAT or 23 ACT).Download Application: Pitts Scholarship |
| Munroe | $18,500 Annually | 2 | Outstanding science/math student. (See Presidential.)Download Application:Munroe Scholarship |
| Findlay | $18,500 Annually | 2 | Outstanding humanities or social science student. (See Presidential.)Download Application:Findlay Scholarship |
| Knox McNeill | $18,500 Annually | 2 | Outstanding commitment to faith and community service (3.25 GPA & 1000 SAT or 25 ACT).Download Application:Knox Scholarship |
| Lane | $18,500 Annually | 3 | Outstanding fine arts student. (1000 SAT/21 ACT & 3.0 GPA)Download Application:Lane Scholarship |
| Peyton Anderson | Tuition, Room & Board | Varies | Commitment to teaching in Middle Georgia (3.60 GPA & 1100 SAT or 29 ACT).* |
| Valedictorian/ Salutatorian | $14,000 | Outstanding students who have earned the recognition as valedictorian or salutatorian of their high school and meet our minimum admission requirements. | |
| Trustee | $11,300 | 1400 SAT/31 ACT & 3.50 GPA; or 1300 SAT/29 ACT & 3.75 GPA | |
| Presidential | $9,000 | 1300 SAT/29 ACT & 3.50 GPA; or 1200 SAT/27 ACT & 3.75 GPA | |
| Dean’s | $6,700 | 1200 SAT/27 ACT & 3.50 GPA; or 1100 SAT/25 ACT & 3.75 GPA | |
| Girl Scout Gold Award | $9,000 | Applicants must be candidates for the Girl Scout Gold Award and designate Gold Award on “How did you hear about Wesleyan” section of application. (1100 SAT/25 ACT & 3.0 GPA).* | |
| FBLA | $9,000 | Applicants must be a Georgia FBLA member winner of the Business, Leaders, or America award. Designate FBLA on “How did you hear about Wesleyan” section of application. (1100 SAT/25 ACT & 3.0 GPA).* | |
| Wesleyan Merit | Up to $5,000 | 1000 SAT/21 ACT & 3.0 GPA |
*Requires special scholarship application.
Students who qualify for Wesleyan’s premier scholarships will be invited to compete at our annual Scholarship Day event in February. SAT score requirements listed above include only critical reading and math. ACT requirements listed above are based on the total composite.
Leadership Awards and Eligibility Requirements
Pierce Leadership Award
Wesleyan has a special focus on developing leadership ability in women. Interested students should compete their application materials, including an in-depth resume of leadership positions held. Awards range from $1000-$3000.
Acceptance of the Leadership Award requires that the student participate in the Pierce Pioneer Leaders Program.
Lovick P. and Elizabeth T. Corn Scholarships
Wesleyan College, with the generous support of Lovick and Elizabeth Corn, provides scholarships to students who demonstrate leadership in service to their schools, churches, or communities, and exemplify the qualities of leadership, character, and personal achievement. Up to 3 Tuition, Basic Room & Board scholarships are awarded to incoming first-year students who are graduates from (I) any high school in Columbus, GA, or the greater Chattahoochee area, with preference for students involved in Girls Inc., (II) Brookstone School in Columbus, GA, or (III) The Heritage School in Newnan, GA. Candidates should possess a high school GPA of 3.2 (or 3.0 in the case of a student who is involved with Girls Inc. who shows potential for success at Wesleyan) and meet minimum admission requirements.
United Methodist Leadership Award
Wesleyan is proud of its affiliation with The United Methodist Church. Interested students should complete their application materials, including an in-depth résumé of involvement in the Church and of service to others. Eligible students must have been members of the Church for at least the two most recent years. Additional information about special scholarship opportunities for Methodist students is available, click here.
Roberto C. Goizueta Memorial Scholarship for Students of Latin American Descent
Wesleyan College, with the generous support of the Roberto C. Goizueta Foundation, provides a varying number of scholarships to entering full-time day students who are of Latin American descent. The Goizueta Memorial Scholarship is a merit and need based award. Any interested student may submit an application; however, eligibility is determined by the Office of Financial Aid Services and only eligible students will be considered.
Art
Students who wish to apply for an Art Scholarship should summit a portfolio consisting of eight to ten works of art. One of the pieces should be a portrait drawn from life (not copied from a photograph). Students are advised to present their best works rather than works in a wide variety of media. The work will be evaluated on understanding of the creative process, handling of the medium, creativity, and presentation. In addition to the portfolio, the student should write a short artistic biography, which tells of the student’s interests and background in art. Portfolio reviews last approximately 30 minutes and include an interview with a member(s) of the Art Department faculty. The student is encouraged to ask any questions she may have about the program at this time. Acceptance of the art scholarship requires that the student pursue either a major or minor in art or art history.
Music
Students who wish to audition for a Music Scholarship should prepare two memorized pieces in contrasting styles. Auditions are given for voice, piano, organ and other instruments. We prefer selections from classical repertoire, but this may not always be possible. Students and their current teacher (s) should choose pieces that present the student at her best, keeping in mind the request for classical selections. Each student will be asked to sight read a simple melody on her primary instrument. All students will be asked to sight sing a simple melody. The audition, which includes an interview with a member(s) of the Music Department faculty, lasts approximately 30 minutes. The student is encouraged to ask any questions she may have about the program at that time. Acceptance of the music scholarship requires that the student pursue either a major or minor in music.
Theatre
Students who wish to audition for a Theatre Scholarship should bring a list of theatre related experiences and have a teacher mail a letter of recommendation. Actors must prepare two memorized monologues of one to two minutes each. The monologues should be in contrasting styles. Students and their current teacher(s) should choose pieces that present the student at her best. The director will work briefly with the student on selections of the monologue in order to assess her ability to take direction. The student who is interested exclusively in technical theatre may choose not to prepare an acting audition, but to submit a portfolio of materials demonstrating her talents and experiences in technical theatre. The audition, which includes an interview with a member of the Theatre Department faculty, lasts approximately 30 minutes. The student is encouraged to ask any questions she may have about the program at that time. Acceptance of the theatre scholarship requires that the student pursue a minor in theatre.
2011 College Discussion Panel
December 21, 2011
We genuinely appreciate our college students’ willingness to return to share their experiences and to provide guidance for our future college students. We thank you, we praise you, and we applaud you!
Each year, through our partnership with the Turner Chapel AME Church Education Ministry, we host a college panel comprised of students, most of whom have returned home for the holiday. This year’s panelist consisted of students representing a broad range of public and private colleges and universities:
- Arizona State University
- Boston University
- Georgia Southern University
- Hampton University
- Howard University
- Life University
- Livingston College
- Mercer University
- Morehouse College
- Morehouse Medical School
- North Carolina A&T University
- NYU
- Southern Polytechnic State University
- Spelman College
- Tuskegee University
- U.S. Air Force Academy
- University of Kentucky
- University of Miami Law School
- University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill)
- Universtity of West Georgia
- Winston-Salem State University
Students reflected a diversity of journeys, majors, issues, and obstacles. Their willingness to candidly share their experiences concerning professors, financial aid, housing, preparation, budgeting, sororities and fraternities, and the culture of their respective campuses was enriching for both parents and students in attendance. Panelist ranged from freshmen to graduate school students and from being concerned with budgeting their finances to being a Gates Millennium Scholar and Air Force Academy cadet with monthly stipends.
It would appear so obvious that communities concerned with increasing the number of students who enter and succeed in college would follow this example by remaining connected with the students whom they send off to college and reconnecting them to the students whom they hope to prepare for college. I believe that more of our youth would serve their communities if only more communities would provide mechanisms through which they can serve.
Watch the videos:
- Part I, students discuss the difference between HBCUs and PWIs (Predominately White Institutions), if college is everything that is made out to be, their biggest academic challenges, and dorm life
- Part II, students discuss what their professors are like
- Part III, students discuss academic preparation, budgeting, and making the right choice
- Part IV, students discuss how much fun they are having and life at the Air Force Academy
- Part V, students talk about their college worship experience, class size, fraternities and sororities, developing character, and networking
Air Force ROTC, Army ROTC, and Navy ROTC Scholarships
December 20, 2011
For the student committed to becoming an officer in the military and able to successfully balance college and military training, the military scholarship program can be a pathway to a college degree and career. However, opting out of the military commitment, under certain circumstances, will require that the student repay all of the money paid toward the student’s tuition.
In Air Force ROTC, you’ll get to experience college life like every other student while developing lasting friendships and valuable leadership skills. All while paying for school with an AFROTC scholarship. To begin your future today, fill out a scholarship application by clicking on the link below.
Benefits
Air Force ROTC can take your college experience to the next level while helping you with the rising costs of education with an array of full or partial scholarships that cover:
- Tuition and fees
- Books and other expenses
- Extra spending money
With an AFROTC scholarship, you’re free to concentrate on your studies and enjoy college instead of worrying about how to pay for it.
How It Works
Several steps are required when applying for an Air Force ROTC scholarship:
- Complete your online application by December 1
- Submit counselor certification/signed copy of transcript (must have a 3.0 GPA at end of 11th grade. Only 9th through 11th grades are considered), extracurricular activity (bubble) sheet, physical fitness assessment and résumé
- Take and submit your SAT or ACT scores. No test scores taken after 1 Dec will be accepted. You must also have an ACT Composite of 24 (Writing Portion not included) or an 1100 SAT Score (We do not mix and match scores and Writing Portion is not included).
- Meet with an Air Force officer
The opportunities that await those recipients of an AFROTC scholarship are worth the time it takes to apply. But don’t wait too long. The sooner you begin, the easier it will be to fulfill the application process.
Army ROTC scholarships consist of:
- Two-, three-, and four-year scholarship options based on the time remaining to complete your degree
- Full-tuition scholarships
- The option for room and board in place of tuition, if you should qualify
- Additional allowances for books and fees
Living Expenses
Army ROTC scholarships also provide monthly living allowances for each school year. You can earn certain amounts depending on your level in the Army ROTC curriculum:
- 1st year, $300 per month
- 2nd year, $350 per month
- 3rd year, $450 per month
- 4th year, $500 per month
This allowance is also available to all non-scholarship Cadets enrolled in the Army ROTC Advanced Course (3rd and 4th years).
Applicants should use the online scholarship application to complete and submit all the required information. Applicants are asked to pick five colleges or universities on their scholarship application. Each school must be for a different NROTC unit and one must be a state school, not necessarily in the candidate’s home state. Each applicant must also select an academic program in which he/she wishes to major. All academic programs fall into three tiers relative to the Navy’s technical needs.
Scholarships will be awarded to an NROTC unit in conjunction with the academic major and tier the applicant specified on his/her application. If offered the scholarship, the student will be expected to attend the school at which their scholarship is placed. In order to change this placement, the student must submit in writing to the NROTC Placement Office a request to change their placement. The student must be mindful if they choose a cross-town school that there may be cross-town commuting costs and class timing issues which will need to be resolved. The enrolled school must support the academic major or equivalent for which the scholarship was awarded. Also, the student must have applied for admission to and been accepted at any school for which he/she wishes to utilize the scholarship.
This application is extensive and may require several hours to complete. We have provided an Application Information Checklist to assist you in gathering information and to ease the process of applying for a scholarship
- Download an Application Information Checklist
- Supplemental Required Forms for Application
- Request assistance from the CGO (Candidate Guidance Office)
- Request assistance from Navy recruiting
- Request assistance from Marine Corps recruiting
The Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Scholarship Program
Beyond the national scholarship program, which is highly competitive, goes before a national review board, and has more aggressive deadlines, the NROTC offers scholarships to students who attend MSI schools, which encompass Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), High Hispanic Enrollment (HHE) schools, and other Minority Serving Institutions (MI). This list of schools are:
HBCU
Allen University
Clark Atlanta University
Dillard University
Florida A&M University
Hampton University
Howard University
Huston-Tillotson College
Morehouse College
Norfolk State University
Prairie View A&M Univ.
Savannah State University
Southern University and A&M College
Spelman College
Tennessee State University
Texas Southern University
Tuskegee University
Xavier University
HHE
Central New Mexico Community College
Pima Community College
University of New Mexico
Other MI (not HHE/HBCU)
Frederick C. Branch Marine Corps Leadership Scholarship
Nominations for the Frederick C. Branch Marine Leadership Scholarship, for Fall enrollment, will be accepted from 1 October to 15 July if applying through a NROTC unit. If applying for the Four-Year scholarship board through the local Marine Recruiter, the NROTC on-line application will be used. The deadline for completing online applications is 31 Jan.
THE FREDERICK C. BRANCH LEADERSHIP SCHOLARSHIP Program is named in honor of the first African American Marine Corps officer who was commissioned as a second lieutenant (2ndLt) on 10 November 1945. It is available at 17 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) affiliated with NROTC. The Four-Year program is open to civilians and Marines and the three- and two-year program is open to civilians and College Program Midshipmen that are attending or have been accepted and will attend a NROTC affiliated HBCU. This program is not open to U.S. Navy Scholarship Midshipmen or Marines in an Active Reserve status. Any eligible male or female of any race or ethnic background may be awarded a Frederick C. Branch Scholarship. Eligibility is determined primarily by attendance at an HBCU. Scholarships and benefits are the same as those of any NROTC Marine Option Scholarship student.
Affiliate HBCUs
Allen University
Clark Atlanta University
Dillard University
Florida A&M University
Hampton University
Howard University
Huston-Tillotson College
Morehouse College
Norfolk State University
Prairie View A&M University
Savannah State University
Southern University and A&M College
Spelman College
Tennessee State University
Texas Southern University
Tuskegee University
Xavier University
Important to Note
The Air Force, Army, and Navy ROTC programs, and the Frederick C. Branch Marine Corps Leadership scholarship are full tuition scholarships. Students are responsible for paying their room and board, which may amount to over $10,000 per year. A limited number of colleges provide room, board, or both to AFROTC cadets and NROTC midshipmen based on their own restrictions. The AFROTC website provides a listing of schools and the type of subsidies offered. Following is a listing of colleges, and their NROTC unit code, purported to offer assistance toward room and board. Students should contact the unit commander at each college to confirm the type, amount, and qualifications for the room and board subsidy.
- Carnegie-Mellon University 067 (412) 268-2000 Free Room & Board (on a case by case basis)
- College of the Holy Cross 011 800) 442-2421 Free Room & Board
- Boston University 061 (617) 353-2000 Free Room & Board
- Florida A&M University 009 (850) 599-3796 Free Room & Board (nomination from NROTC unit)
- George Washington University 063 (202) 994-1000 Free Room & Board (prior active duty recipients) (tech majors eligible for a stipend of $4000 for room & board)
- Illinois Institute of Technology 013 (312) 567-3000 Free Room & Board
- Iowa State University 015 (515) 294-4111 $2000/year Room & Board (top 25% incoming freshmen)
- Jacksonville University 016 (904) 744-3950 Free Room & Board
- Louisiana State University 046 (225) 388-1175 Free Room & Board
- Maine Maritime Academy 019 (800) 227-8465 Free Room & Board
- Marquette University 020 (608) 262-3961 Free Room & Board
- Morehouse College 068 (404) 681-2800 Free Room & Road
- New York Maritime College 056 (718) 409-7220 Free Room & Board
- Norwich University 065 (800) 468-6679 Free Room & Board
- Prairie View A&M University 038 (409) 857-2310 Free Room & Board
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 040 (518) 276-6000 Free Room & Board
- Savannah State University 043 (800) 788-0478 Free Room & Board
- Southern University and A&M 046 (225) 771-2430 Free Room & Board
- Tulane University 049 (504) 865-5000 Free Room & Board
- University of Southern California 045 (213) 746-1879 $2500/year Room & Board
- University of Michigan 023 (734) 764-1817 Room & Board Scholarship (eng students, case by case)
- University of Mississippi 025 (662) 915-7211 Free Room (out of state residents)
- University of Missouri 026 (573) 882-2456 $1000/year to Free Room & Board (varies)
- University of Rochester 042 (716) 275-6111 Free Room & Board
- University of San Diego 059 (619) 260-4600 75% Room & Board
- Washington State University 012 (509) 335-3564 Free Room & Board
Pathways to the NROTC scholarship program
Students have a choice of five distinct pathways to receiving the NROTC scholarship. Students must carefully consider the commitment involved and the penalty of not fulfilling their military commitment.
High School Senior/Graduate
Selected applicants for the NROTC scholarship program are awarded scholarships through a highly competitive national selection process. The recipient will be commissioned a Naval officer upon graduation and is obligated to a minimum of 4 years active duty in the U.S. Navy. The scholarship recipient will receive full tuition and other financial benefits including an allotment for textbooks, class fees and monthly subsistence at many of the country’s leading colleges and universities. NROTC scholarships do not pay for room and board or personal items such as computers.
Students that have more than 1 year of college credit are not eligible for the 4-year scholarship and should discuss other options with the Professor of Naval Science at the university they attend.
College Freshman/Sophomore
The 2 year scholarship program covers tuition, fees, an allotment for textbooks and uniforms plus monthly subsistence for a maximum of 20 academic months for the junior and senior years of college only. For application information and deadline dates contact your nearest university NROTC unit.
College Programmer
The Navy also offers a two-year or four-year non-subsidized college program for college students who want to serve their country in leadership roles as officers in the Navy or Marine Corps. Applicants for the college program are selected from the students already attending or accepted by colleges or universities with NROTC units. Information about the NROTC college programs can be obtained from any of the NROTC units.
College Junior/Senior
The Navy offers several other opportunities to become a naval officer. If you are a college student in your junior or senior year, visit the Navy or Marine Corps website to find out about the Direct Input and Officer Candidate School opportunities.
Nursing
Four-year NROTC scholarships are available to students interested in pursuing Bachelor of Science degrees in Nursing (BSN). If selected for a scholarship, the selectee must major in a nursing degree program leading to a BSN. Upon graduation, Nurse NROTC Scholarship Program midshipmen will be commissioned as reserve officers in the Navy Nurse Corps. Nurse NROTC eligibility and selection procedures are the same as the regular four-year NROTC Scholarship Program requirements. Academic, physical and military requirements differ slightly from regular NROTC.