Two cadets in the Reserve Officer Training Corps program working together during their weekly leadership lab.

By: Kayleigh Phillips

There are many controversies over the Reserve Officer Training Corps programs being placed on college campuses and universities. According to the United States Army, the ROTC offers a wide range of benefits for anyone seeking financial assistance to further their education. However, it does come with stipulations such as a minimum GPA and SAT score and physical requirements as Nick Robinson states in his article “Is There Any Benefit to ROTC in College?” Not only does ROTC help students fund their education financially, but it can also be an opportunity to become involved in a group outside of an academic setting and feel as part of a community. A recent study by Erin Massoni, “The Positive Effects of Extra Curricular Activities on Students”, shows a positive correlation between students involved in extra circular activities earning higher grades. This study also shows a significant decrease in the risk of a student who are involved in extracurricular actives dropping out.

Many of the nations most elite universities had banned ROTC programs during the Vietnam War and continued to outlaw the programs on their campuses until 2011 due to the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, as stated by military writer for USA TODAY Jim Michaels. The ban was lifted in 2011 when former president Obama repealed the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy which resulted in the ROTC program being back on ivy league school campuses the following year. Finally, the ROTC program is back on college campuses across the nation ranging from community colleges to the most prestigious universities.

There are many benefits to joining the ROTC program for people from all levels of society. The ROTC program can provide financial assistance, a development of leadership and discipline skills and a sense of community which has been shown to increase a student’s GPA while decreasing the likelihood of them dropping out. However, as with anything, there are two sides to the story and the ROTC does have its flaws. According to Nick Robinson, the ROTC program is not the best choice for everyone. After completion of the program, the cadets are expected to serve a minimum of four years which may or may not include deployment into a war zone. The ROTC program requires students to enroll in classes which often conflict with the schedule of their preferred degree.