https://crsreports.congress.gov
Updated November 9, 2021
Defense Primer: Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps
Background
The Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps (SROTC)—
more commonly referred to as the Reserve Officer Training
Corps (ROTC)—is an officer training and scholarship
program for postsecondary students authorized under
Chapter 103 of Title 10 of the United States Code. By
enrolling in ROTC, students can pursue an undergraduate
degree while also training to become U.S. military officers.
The military departments — Army, Air Force, and Navy —
manage their own ROTC programs, which are hosted at
civilian universities and colleges. The Navy ROTC program
includes a Marine Corps option and the Air Force program
allows for commissions to the Space Force. The Coast
Guard, part of the Department of Homeland Security, does
not have an ROTC program, but does offer a College
Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI) that awards
scholarships to students at minority-serving institutions and
placement in the Coast Guard Officer Candidate School.
The military departments provide scholarships and other
forms of financial assistance to participating students. In
return, students commit to accept an appointment as an
officer in the U.S. military upon graduation.
The ROTC program is the largest single source of
commissioned officers, producing more than 6,000 officers
annually (see Figure 1). Other major commissioning
sources include service academies (the U.S. Naval
Academy, the U.S. Military Academy, and the U.S. Air
Force Academy); Officer Candidate/Training Schools; and
direct appointment.
Figure 1. Active Duty Officer Gains by Commissioning
Source
FY2019
Source: Center for Naval Analysis, Population Representation in the
Military Services, FY2019, Appendix B, Table B-30.
Notes: ROTC includes both scholarship and nonscholarship.
OCS/OTS/PLC includes Officer Candidates School (OCS), Aviation
OCS, Officer Training School (OTS), and Platoon Leaders Course
(PLC).
Legislative History
During the Civil War, Congress passed the Land Grant Act
of 1862 (P.L. 37-130; also called the Morrill Act) to address
a shortage of trained military officers. The act provided
funding and land to establish public colleges in each state.
These colleges taught military tactics along with other
subjects. However, the implementation and quality of
military instruction across these schools lacked
standardization. The National Defense Act of 1916 (P.L.
65-84) abolished the land-grant system for military
education and created an ROTC structure to standardize and
enhance military training for the Army. In 1925, under P.L
68-611, the Navy was allowed to participate in ROTC.
Congress added a naval scholarship program in 1946 (P.L
79-729).
In 1964, following a decline in ROTC enrollment, Congress
passed the ROTC Vitalization Act (P.L. 88-647). The act
standardized the program across the Army, Navy, and Air
Force, and authorized the department secretaries to pay for
ROTC participants’ educational expenses, including tuition,
fees, and books. It capped the number of participants who
could receive financial assistance at 16,500 (5,500 for each
department). The military departments lifted restrictions on
full participation by women in ROTC programs in 1969
(Air Force) and 1972 (Army and Navy).
Past Controversies
Historically, ROTC programs have been seen by military
and civilian stakeholders as an opportunity to augment
force structure and foster civilian-military relations. At
times, however, the presence of ROTC units and students
on campus has been contentious. During the Vietnam War
era, student antiwar protests were widespread, and at
several universities ROTC programs were downgraded to
an extracurricular activity or denied access to on-campus
facilities and support. As a result, the military shuttered the
ROTC programs at some universities. For example, in
1969, the Navy chose not to renew its contract with Yale
University following a faculty member vote to disallow
academic credit for ROTC courses.
In the 1990s, additional controversies around the ROTC
program arose due to the Department of Defense’s (DOD)
admission and separation policy for gay individuals. This
policy, known as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), became
law in 1993 as part of the FY1994 National Defense
Authorization Act (P.L. 103-160, §571). Some faculty
members and students criticized DADT for being
discriminatory and some universities barred ROTC
programs from their campuses, citing rules protecting
LGBTQ individuals from discrimination.
In 1996, as part of the FY1996 NDAA (P.L. 104-106,
§541), Congress passed legislation that denied certain
federal funding to any higher education institution that
prohibited or prevented the operation of ROTC units,
