Reduced Tuition - ROTC
Background Information:
ROTC stands for Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. Designed to develop effective leadership skills, this program successfully positions interested students for key roles in the military. The ROTC curriculum is integrated into the student’s chosen program of study and completed prior to graduation.
Generous scholarship support is typically available through the federal government. However, should this funding become unavailable, the Board of Regents has created a dependable safety net. Junior and senior students who have attained the rank of senior ROTC cadet are eligible for a partial tuition waiver. Eligibility requirements are listed below:
- Established residency in South Dakota
- Senior ROTC status validated by a signed contract
- Satisfactory Academic Progress (as defined by the US Army or Air Force Cadet Command)
Those students who establish eligibility will be charged 50% of the current resident tuition rate; moreover, students may participate in this reduced tuition program for up to four semesters.
Notes:
- This program applies exclusively to tuition (not to fees).
- The partial tuition waiver applies only to state-support courses (primarily those that are campus-based, centers and involve face-to-face instruction). It does
not apply to self-support courses (those offered at other off-campus locations as well as those that entail distance learning).
Many ROTC students also maintain membership in a National Guard unit. Guard members qualify for another reduced tuition program; additional details are available at this link: (https://www.sdbor.edu/student-information/Pages/Reduced-Tuition-national-guard.aspx ).
Application Process:
Five of the six regental universities feature an ROTC program. Three of these schools (BH, SDSMT, and USD) offer an army ROTC program; DSU offers the air force program in collaboration with SDSU; SDSU offers both army and air force programs. To learn more, contact an ROTC representative at the university of your choice:
-
Dakota State University - Madison -
: refer to SDSU ROTC webpages (see below).
- South Dakota State University - Brookings:
Should you ultimately join ROTC, a representative from that program will review all options for financial support of your academic pursuits and then guide the appropriate application process.
