If you are a high school student preparing for college—or a current student already on campus—there are three main paths to join our program: the national 4-Year NROTC Scholarship, the NROTC Preparatory Program, and our walk-on College Program.
Are you currently an enlisted sailor or Marine looking to go to college and earn your commission as an officer? Please scroll down to the bottom of the page for details on how to apply.
1. The Four-Year NROTC Scholarship
This is the traditional national scholarship program. It pays for your full tuition, covers mandatory university fees, provides a stipend for your textbooks, and gives you a monthly spending allowance while you are in school. If you have an outside or university scholarship that already covers your tuition, you can choose to have this NROTC scholarship pay for your room and board instead (up to $11,500 per year).
Ready to Apply? Start Your National 4-Year NROTC Application →
Need to schedule your officer interview? If you live locally and need to complete your required high school applicant interview, head to our Contact Page to get in touch with our unit’s Recruiting Officer.
2. NROTC Preparatory Program (NPP)
This unique program gives great students an extra year of preparation to make sure they succeed in college and the Navy. The University of Notre Dame and Holy Cross College team up to completely pay for your tuition, fees, and room and board for a one-year prep program while you live and study as a student at Holy Cross College.
We look for students who have fantastic potential, high moral character, and great leadership in sports or clubs, but whose high schools might not have offered advanced classes or who just need a boost in their standardized test scores. When you successfully finish this prep year, you move right into the regular 4-year scholarship program.
3. College Program (For Current or Incoming Students)
Did you miss out on the high school scholarship application window? You can still join us as a “walk-on.” The College Program is for students who have already been accepted to or are currently attending the University of Notre Dame, Holy Cross College, or Saint Mary’s College.
College Program students don’t get tuition money right away, but you do the exact same training, wear the uniforms, and take the same naval science classes as our scholarship students. Once you prove yourself in the unit, you can compete for internal “side-load” scholarships during your freshman or sophomore year to get the rest of your college paid for. Either way, you graduate with the exact same career as a Navy or Marine Corps officer.
Active-Duty Enlisted Programs (MECEP / STA-21)
If you are a currently enlisted Sailor or Marine looking to transition to college and earn a commission as an officer, our staff is here to help you navigate the change. Please feel free to reach out directly to our Navy Recruiting Officer or our Marine Officer Instructors (MOI/AMOI) using the information on our Contact Page. While we don’t handle your military paperwork packet, we would love to answer your questions about life at Notre Dame.
Visit the Notre Dame Office of Military & Veterans Affairs →
The OMVA office on campus is the best resource for enlisted service members. They will help you handle your university application, see how your military credits transfer, set up housing, and process your military or veteran benefits.