Every branch runs its scholarship boards on its own calendar, and the dates live on four government sites that never quite line up. The pages that promise to gather them often lock the actual dates inside an image you cannot search or copy. If you have spent an evening piecing together ROTC board dates from those sites, this page ends that.
A four-year ROTC scholarship covers tuition, fees, a monthly stipend, and a book allowance across all four years of college.
Below is the full four-year scholarship timeline for every branch, in plain, readable text. A four-year ROTC scholarship is worth roughly $40,000 to $80,000 at a public university and can exceed $200,000 at a private one, so the timing of your student’s packet is a decision, not an afterthought.
Before you go further, here is the short version:
- Each branch runs its own boards on its own calendar: Army holds three national boards, Navy Option runs monthly rolling boards, and Air Force ROTC runs two.
- Initial application, document, and interview deadlines can be different. The board reviews eligible files afterward.
- AFROTC calls fall 2027 entry AY2027-2028. Its application season overlaps the 2026-2027 Army and Navy season shown here.
- Every award is contingent on DoDMERB medical qualification, which runs on its own timeline.
- The Marine Option online application closure is confirmed; ask your coordinator about local processing and board cutoffs.
- Choose a board your student can reach with all required components complete. Confirm the rules for any later updates.
When Are the ROTC Scholarship Boards in 2026-2027? All Four Branches at a Glance
You want the dates, not another 1,500-word runway to reach them. The table below compares all four branches on the three things that shape your planning: when the application window opens, the key deadline, and how the boards are scheduled.
| Branch | Application opens | Key deadline | Board cadence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army ROTC | June 14, 2026 | March 8, 2027 (final round) | October, January, March |
| Navy Option (NROTC) | 1 April 2026 | 31 January 2027 | Rolling selection boards |
| Air Force ROTC | July 1, 2026 | December 11, 2026 (initial application) | October and March |
| Marine Option (NROTC) | Via the NROTC application | 31 January 2027 (online closure) | Confirm local cutoffs with coordinator |
The next section explains how the deadlines fit together. Each branch’s calendar follows.
How application deadlines and board dates differ
Build the timeline around each required step. A portal’s last day to start an application may be earlier than its document deadline, and the interview can have another cutoff.
Missing a completion deadline is different from being considered and not selected. The March 2025 Army incentives pamphlet, printed page 11 says an applicant is boarded once and considered in later rounds unless selected. Confirm your status and the update rules with the branch; do not assume a missed deadline automatically moves an incomplete file forward.
Medical qualification through DoDMERB follows a separate timeline. Follow the branch’s referral instructions rather than treating the medical exam as another document due before every scholarship board.
Carry that same principle into each branch’s calendar below.
Army ROTC Board Dates and Scholarship Deadlines
Here are Army’s three national boards, the document deadline for each, and the academic floors your student has to clear. Army ROTC runs the most structured calendar of the branches. The four-year scholarship portal opens June 14, 2026 for the 2026-2027 cycle, and Cadet Command convenes three national boards at Fort Knox across the year.
| Round | Document deadline | Board reviews applications |
|---|---|---|
| Round 01 | October 12, 2026 | October 19-23, 2026 |
| Round 02 | January 18, 2027 | January 25-29, 2027 |
| Round 03 | March 8, 2027 | March 15-19, 2027 |
Each row pairs a document deadline with a board. Ask the assigned battalion to confirm the interview completion and evaluation-submission cutoffs. Do not infer either cutoff from the board date. The document dates are published on the official Army scholarship page.
| Requirement | Army ROTC four-year (HSSP) minimum |
|---|---|
| SAT or ACT | Score required; no minimum in the March 2025 national scholarship pamphlet |
| GPA | 2.5 unweighted |
| Age | 17 to under 31 in year of commissioning |
| Citizenship | U.S. citizen |
These requirements do not predict an award. The test-submission rule comes from the cited Army pamphlet; confirm the rest against the current GoArmy requirements. The Army ROTC scholarship deadlines guide explains the round-by-round timeline.
This calendar favors students who can complete the packet by an earlier round. Do not wait on the portal, since every board works from the completed files already in front of it.
Related: For the round-by-round Army timeline, see Army ROTC Scholarship Deadlines.
Air Force ROTC Board Dates and Scholarship Deadlines
AFROTC calls this the AY2027-2028 cycle because it covers college entry in that academic year. The 2026-2027 application season includes candidates interested in the Air Force and Space Force.
The portal opened July 1, 2026 for the 2027-2028 cycle. The fall board takes applications through September 15, 2026, and the winter board closes to new applications on December 11, 2026.
| Round | Document deadline | Interview deadline | Board reviews applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board 1 (27HS01) | September 25, 2026 | October 16, 2026 | October 26-29, 2026 |
| Board 2 (27HS02) | December 22, 2026 | March 5, 2027 | March 15-26, 2027 |
The document deadline falls after the initial application deadline. The interview has its own cutoff, shown in the table. These dates come from table 3.1 of the AY27-28 applicant guide.
| Requirement | Air Force ROTC HSSP (AY27-28) minimum |
|---|---|
| GPA | 3.3 unweighted cumulative |
| SAT / ACT / CLT | 1310 / 28 / 93 composite |
| Age | 17 at activation to no more than 30 by Dec 31 of the commissioning year |
| Citizenship | U.S. citizen, or able to obtain by the end of the freshman fall term |
One note on scores: the ACT Science section must be taken, and Air Force ROTC does not super-score across sittings, so plan for the strongest single test date.
The AFROTC guide requires academic records, the fitness assessment, and an interview without publishing their percentage weights. Track each completion deadline in the Air Force ROTC calendar.
Navy ROTC Board Dates and Scholarship Deadlines
Navy Option uses rolling selection boards. Confirm with your scholarship coordinator when a completed application can reach a board.
The four-year national scholarship portal opened 1 April 2026 for the 2026-2027 cycle, and the general application deadline is 31 January 2027. Between those dates, boards convene on a rolling monthly basis.
- 19–23 October 2026
- 16–20 November 2026
- 14–18 December 2026
- 11–15 January 2027
- 25–29 January 2027 (Pre-Med Board)
- 8–12 February 2027
- 22–26 February 2027
- 8–12 March 2027
- 22–26 March 2027
- 12–16 April 2027 (Last board)
Confirm exact board weeks on the official NROTC portal, since the monthly cadence can shift within the cycle.
| Requirement | Navy Option four-year national scholarship minimum |
|---|---|
| SAT | 550 EBRW / 540 Math |
| ACT | 22 English / 21 Math |
| Age | 17 by Sept 1 of freshman year to under 27 by Dec 31 of the commissioning year |
| Citizenship | U.S. citizen; must be found physically and medically qualified |
Check the current instructions for the selected NROTC option, including its academic-major requirements. We have not verified a current public selection-weight formula; the fitness assessment’s scoring instructions do not establish its percentage of the overall decision. Use the Navy ROTC calendar and confirm processing dates with your coordinator.
Leave time for your coordinator to process the packet before the online application closes.
Related: For the month-by-month Navy Option schedule, see Navy ROTC Board Dates and Deadlines.
NROTC Marine Option: Online Closure and Local Deadlines
The FY2027 NETFOCUS portal confirms that online applications for Navy, Nurse, and Marine Option close at midnight on 31 January 2027.
Marine Option has a separate selection process. We have not verified the current local board dates or processing cutoffs. Contact your Marine scholarship coordinator to confirm when the packet, interview, and Marine Physical Fitness Test must be complete.
Marine Option uses a separate selection process. Confirm local processing and board deadlines with your Marine scholarship coordinator.
Our Marine Option dates guide explains what to confirm.
Follow the current Marine Option application instructions and your coordinator’s directions.
Frequently Asked Questions About ROTC Board Dates and Deadlines
What are board dates in Army ROTC?
Board dates are the weeks Army Cadet Command reviews eligible scholarship applications. Army runs three national boards in this cycle. Each has a published document deadline; confirm the interview completion and evaluation-submission cutoffs separately with your battalion.
What is the difference between an ROTC application deadline and a board date?
An initial application deadline covers the initial form. Documents, test results, and the interview can have separate cutoffs. The board date is when eligible files are reviewed. Follow each branch's definitions and completion requirements instead of treating these as a single deadline.
How many ROTC scholarship boards run per year, by branch?
This cycle has three Army national boards and two AFROTC boards. Navy Option uses rolling selection boards. Marine Option has a separate selection process; confirm its local schedule with the scholarship coordinator.
What happens if you miss an ROTC scholarship deadline or your packet rolls to the next board?
Ask the branch to confirm whether your file is eligible for a later board and which updates it accepts. Army's published policy allows later-round consideration after an applicant is boarded and not selected. That is different from missing a completion deadline. A final application cutoff can end eligibility for the cycle.
How long after an ROTC board are results released?
Use the projected result date for your branch and board, where one is published. AFROTC lists specific projected dates; there is no single two-week rule for all ROTC boards. Watch the application portal and branch communications.
When are the NROTC Marine Option board dates released?
The FY2027 NETFOCUS portal confirms the online application closure, but local processing and board cutoffs need confirmation from your Marine scholarship coordinator. See the Marine Option section above.
Does ROTC cover room and board?
Not automatically alongside full tuition. Army ROTC pays either full tuition and mandatory fees or a capped, taxable room-and-board allowance in place of tuition, elected once a year, not both at once. Many host schools separately add their own room-and-board benefit for scholarship cadets, but that is a school-specific incentive, not part of the federal ROTC award.
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