Steps to becoming a midshipman

  1. Visit our Programs and Scholarship Breakdown pages. 
  2. Sign up for an information session or schedule an officer interview. 
  3. Visit our New Student Orientation Program (NSO) page.
  4. Register for Naval Science (NS) classes. Students are required to register for NS 100 and NS 101. NS 100, Leadership Laboratory (Drill), is a Battalion-wide instructional period used to develop midshipmen with necessary knowledge for the fleet. This is a mandatory class for all midshipmen. Any class conflicts must be approved by the NROTC freshmen class advisor. NS 101, Introduction to Naval Science, sets the foundation of Navy and Marine Corps concepts and is an introduction to the basics of the military profession. More information can be found on Course Explorer and the Course Catalog.
  5. Complete the New Student Orientation welcome packet and mail all necessary forms found on the NSO Forms page  to the unit by the specified date. Note that some forms require a medical evaluation, which may take longer to complete.
  6. Follow the steps outlined in the welcome packet such as studying knowledge, continuing physical training and nutrition planning, and swim familiarization to ensure that you are prepared for involvement as a midshipman in the World’s Greatest NROTC Battalion.

For the high school student

Visit the NETC website to complete a scholarship application. The application consists of academic information and several short answer questions, similar to those of a college application. You will be asked what your choice of major is, as scholarships are divided by majors into tiers. The list of majors and tiers at the University of Illinois can be accessed here. The application will also ask you for the school where you intend to use your scholarship. It would be wise to research your potential college choices and their NROTC Units before applying for the scholarship.

After completing the online application, you will be contacted by your local recruiter. You will be scheduled for an interview as part of your application. When meeting with your interviewer, you should treat the interview like a job interview. You want to impress upon the interviewer exactly why it is that you would like to join the Navy ROTC. After meeting with the recruiting officer and submitting your application, take the initiative by calling your prospective unit to express your interest in the unit. You can also ask if there is anything else you can do to further the application process.

If your scholarship application is approved, you will be notified the unit to which you have been assigned and they will take you through the final steps to becoming a midshipman at their unit. Many units, including the University of Illinois, offer a New Student Orientation Program of some kind, designed to give you the tools you need to succeed in this program.

for the college student

If you are currently a college student at the University of Illinois, you can join the NROTC program without the National Scholarship that is awarded during your senior year in high school. The College Program allows current college students to join the NROTC program. College Program Midshipmen are treated the same as Scholarship Midshipmen, except for the fact that they do not receive scholarship funds or stipends and do not attend summer cruises. All Midshipmen attend the same required NROTC classes, drill periods, and compete on the same teams. The purpose for the College Program is to allow students to see if the Battalion is right for them.

College Program Midshipmen can apply for 2 or 3 year scholarships or earn Advanced Standing, which entitles them to a monthly stipend. Freshmen and Sophomores that have completed a year in the NROTC program are eligible to earn these scholarships. Midshipmen who do not pick up a scholarship may be awarded Advanced Standing by the Commanding Officer. Midshipmen who fail to pick up Advanced Standing or Scholarship by the end of their sophomore year will be dropped from the program and incur no service obligation. In addition, Illinois residents are eligible for tuition waivers that are awarded by the state to NROTC midshipmen. For in-state students, these waivers cover the cost of tuition  each semester up to the end of sophomore year. More information on tuition waivers is available here.

As soon as you pick up a Scholarship or Advanced Standing, you will be able to attend summer training sessions at a variety of commands around the world.

If you are interested in joining the NROTC program at the University of Illinois as a Navy Option, please contact us for more information about joining the Battalion.

​If you are interested in joining as a Marine Option, please call Captain Fabio Salas at 217-244-1439 or contact him via email at fsalas@illinois.edu. If you desire to join prior to the fall semester, you have the opportunity to participate in the New Student Orientation Program (NSO). This program will prepare you for entrance into the WGNB and it is highly recommended that you attend.