Student Services
Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC)
ROTC at SFU
The Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, commonly known as ROTC, teaches students leadership and management skills that help prepare them for successful careers—in the US Army or in civilian life. Saint Francis participates in the Army ROTC program in partnership with the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Saint Francis students fully participate in the Military Science program on campus in Loretto with training and leadership labs at IUP.
ROTC Scholarships
SFU awards financial aid scholarships to ALL students involved in ROTC if participants complete the program’s curriculum. Students may also be eligible for full ROTC Scholarships through the U.S. Army. Unlike many other institutions, Saint Francis will award scholarships to ALL students that successfully complete the ROTC curriculum with a Minor in Military Science to accompany their Major concentration in any curriculum.
Learn more:
- Military Science/Army ROTC curriculum Course Catalog
- Army ROTC program in partnership with the Indiana University of Pennsylvania
- ROTC scholarships
Contact Us
For the fastest response to any of your questions, join our office hours using the button below. A member of the Warrior Battalion staff will be available on Zoom during the posted hours to answer any questions you may have about Army ROTC.
Schedule
- Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00am – 12:00pm
- Wednesdays 12:00pm – 2:00pm
If you are interested in joining the Warrior Battalion, complete the interest form. We will use this to contact you and discuss any questions you may have.
ROTC Enrollment and Scholarship Officer
Mr. Christopher L. Chavira
1-800-487-ROTC
P: 724-357-7682
C: 724-980-7598
cchavira@iup.edu
christopher.l.chavira.civ@mail.mil
Resources
If you are interested in joining the Warrior Battalion, complete the interest form. We will use this to contact you and disuss any questions you may have.
Helpful Links
http://www.goarmy.com/rotc.html
National Scholarship Information
Registration & Login > Login
Create an ROTC National Scholarship account
ROTC National
National Scholarship login
High School
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Army ROTC National Scholarship Information
Army ROTC National Scholarship Information
Scholarships are available to graduating High School Seniors. The scholarship application opens in early June, immediately following their junior year of high school. Scholarship benefits include:
- Full tuition and fees (or $10k for room and board)
- $600 per semester for books
- $420 monthly stipend.
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High School Student Criteria
High School Student Criteria
You are between the second semester of your junior year and the second semester of your senior year:
- Are a US citizen
- Are at least 17 years of age within the first semester of the year you enter college
- Will be 31 years of age by December 31st of the year in which you will graduate from college and receive your commission.
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What can I do to be competitive for a National Scholarship?
What can I do to be competitive for a National Scholarship?
You will be evaluated on a “Scholar, Athlete, Leader” (SAL) model for the scholarship. Demonstrating your performance in the Scholar, Athlete, and Leader domains indicates your potential to the scholarship board. Here is how each domain broken down, and what you can do to be competitive:
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Scholar, Athlete, and Leader Information
Scholar
- Includes academics: GPA, course load, SAT/ACT scores
- Have a competitive GPA
- Challenge yourself by taking honors/AP/IB classes
- Score well on the SAT or ACT. *Although some colleges do not require standardized tests, you will need it for the ROTC scholarship*
Athlete
- Includes sports and physical fitness
- Participate in sports (can be community organizations, clubs, or school-sponsored)
- Score well on your scholarship fitness assessment (1 minute of push ups, 1 minute of sit ups, 1 mile run)
Leader
- Includes your involvement in a variety of activities, positions of responsibility, and leadership roles
- Participate in extracurricular activities (can be community organizations, clubs, school sponsored, part-time or full-time jobs)
- Hold leadership positions in your activities and/or your job
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Additional Evaluation Criteria
Additional Evaluation Criteria:
In addition to the “Scholar, Athlete, Leader” (SAL) model, you will also be evaluated on the following criteria:
Scholarship Board
- Cadet Background Experience Form (CBEF)
- SAT/ACT Scores
- In-person interview with a Professor of Military Science
- Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA)
- The combination of all of these scores make up your “Whole Person Score”.
If you are interested in joining the Warrior Battalion, complete the interest form. We will use this to contact you and disuss any questions you may have.
Army ROTC National Scholarship Information
Scholarships are available to graduating High School Seniors. The scholarship application opens in early June, immediately following their junior year of high school. Scholarship benefits include:
- Full tuition and fees (or $10k for room and board)
- $600 per semester for books
- $420 monthly stipend.
High School Student Criteria
You are between the second semester of your junior year and the second semester of your senior year:
- Are a US citizen
- Are at least 17 years of age within the first semester of the year you enter college
- Will be 31 years of age by December 31st of the year in which you will graduate from college and receive your commission.
What can I do to be competitive for a National Scholarship?
You will be evaluated on a “Scholar, Athlete, Leader” (SAL) model for the scholarship. Demonstrating your performance in the Scholar, Athlete, and Leader domains indicates your potential to the scholarship board. Here is how each domain broken down, and what you can do to be competitive:
Scholar
- Includes academics: GPA, course load, SAT/ACT scores
- Have a competitive GPA
- Challenge yourself by taking honors/AP/IB classes
- Score well on the SAT or ACT. *Although some colleges do not require standardized tests, you will need it for the ROTC scholarship*
Athlete
- Includes sports and physical fitness
- Participate in sports (can be community organizations, clubs, or school-sponsored)
- Score well on your scholarship fitness assessment (1 minute of push ups, 1 minute of sit ups, 1 mile run)
Leader
- Includes your involvement in a variety of activities, positions of responsibility, and leadership roles
- Participate in extracurricular activities (can be community organizations, clubs, school sponsored, part-time or full-time jobs)
- Hold leadership positions in your activities and/or your job
Additional Evaluation Criteria:
In addition to the “Scholar, Athlete, Leader” (SAL) model, you will also be evaluated on the following criteria:
Scholarship Board
- Cadet Background Experience Form (CBEF)
- SAT/ACT Scores
- In-person interview with a Professor of Military Science
- Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA)
- The combination of all of these scores make up your “Whole Person Score”.
If you are interested in joining the Warrior Battalion, complete the interest form. We will use this to contact you and disuss any questions you may have.
College Students
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Campus Based Scholarship Opportunities
Campus Based Scholarship Opportunities
Campus based scholarships are available to qualified students who were not offered or did not apply for the High School ROTC Scholarship or the Green to Gold program. These scholarships are limited and may range in length from 2-4 years. Scholarships pay for full tuition and mandatory fees, for both resident and non-resident students. Scholarship awardees also receive a book allowance and a tax-free monthly stipend to defray the cost of living. Applications can be submitted year round to the Department of Military Science at SFU.
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Scholarship Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria
Scholarship Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria
- Must be a U.S. Citizen.
- Must be under 31 years of age by December 31 of the year you will graduate from college.
- Must have four or more academic semesters remaining for a baccalaureate degree upon enrollment. Students seeking a master’s degree must have four academic semesters remaining and must have Army ROTC Basic Course credit (contact the ROTC department the spring before you begin your program).
- Have a minimum college GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
- Have a satisfactory explanation for any record of arrest and/or civil conviction.
- Have no moral or personal conviction against bearing arms or supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States.
- Those applicants advancing to further scholarship consideration are scheduled for a medical examination and a personal interview.
Campus Based Scholarship Opportunities
Campus based scholarships are available to qualified students who were not offered or did not apply for the High School ROTC Scholarship or the Green to Gold program. These scholarships are limited and may range in length from 2-4 years. Scholarships pay for full tuition and mandatory fees, for both resident and non-resident students. Scholarship awardees also receive a book allowance and a tax-free monthly stipend to defray the cost of living. Applications can be submitted year round to the Department of Military Science at SFU.
Scholarship Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria
- Must be a U.S. Citizen.
- Must be under 31 years of age by December 31 of the year you will graduate from college.
- Must have four or more academic semesters remaining for a baccalaureate degree upon enrollment. Students seeking a master’s degree must have four academic semesters remaining and must have Army ROTC Basic Course credit (contact the ROTC department the spring before you begin your program).
- Have a minimum college GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
- Have a satisfactory explanation for any record of arrest and/or civil conviction.
- Have no moral or personal conviction against bearing arms or supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States.
- Those applicants advancing to further scholarship consideration are scheduled for a medical examination and a personal interview.
Current Military
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US Army National Guard and Reserves
US Army National Guard and Reserves
Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP)
Students who contract as a Simultaneous Membership Program Cadet simultaneously enroll in ROTC and belong to an Army Reserve or National Guard unit. A student can become an SMP Cadet in their sophomore year and become non-deployable while in college. SMP Cadets, scholarship and non-scholarship, receive:
- Experience working with an officer during drill, learning the job of an officer.
In-state tuition regardless of current resident status - Drill pay as a Sergeant (E-5): $400 per month (for calendar year 2025)
ROTC stipend of $420 per month while in school
Other benefits that SMP students may qualify for:
- Federal Tuition Assistance: $250 per credit (for 12 – 18 credits; up to $4500 per year)
- Reserve GI Bill: $481per month (must have completed Basic and AIT)
- Reserve GI Bill Kicker: $350 per month (must receive Reserve GI Bill benefits and be in a select specialty or unit)
- Educational Assistance Program: $4,097.00 per semester (PA Army National Guard only)
- Non-scholarship SMP Cadets can apply for an active-duty, Army National Guard, or Army Reserve commission. Some benefits may be recouped if the Cadet chooses and is selected to serve on active duty upon commissioning.
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Active Duty Soldiers
Active Duty Soldier
Active Duty Soldiers are eligible for the green to gold program. Penn State accepts green to gold soldiers, for more information on the green to gold program click the link below.
US Army National Guard and Reserves
Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP)
Students who contract as a Simultaneous Membership Program Cadet simultaneously enroll in ROTC and belong to an Army Reserve or National Guard unit. A student can become an SMP Cadet in their sophomore year and become non-deployable while in college. SMP Cadets, scholarship and non-scholarship, receive:
- Experience working with an officer during drill, learning the job of an officer.
In-state tuition regardless of current resident status - Drill pay as a Sergeant (E-5): $400 per month (for calendar year 2025)
ROTC stipend of $420 per month while in school
Other benefits that SMP students may qualify for:
- Federal Tuition Assistance: $250 per credit (for 12 – 18 credits; up to $4500 per year)
- Reserve GI Bill: $481per month (must have completed Basic and AIT)
- Reserve GI Bill Kicker: $350 per month (must receive Reserve GI Bill benefits and be in a select specialty or unit)
- Educational Assistance Program: $4,097.00 per semester (PA Army National Guard only)
- Non-scholarship SMP Cadets can apply for an active-duty, Army National Guard, or Army Reserve commission. Some benefits may be recouped if the Cadet chooses and is selected to serve on active duty upon commissioning.
Active Duty Soldier
Active Duty Soldiers are eligible for the green to gold program. Penn State accepts green to gold soldiers, for more information on the green to gold program click the link below.
Current Cadets
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Form Links
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Medical
Medical
After completing the enrollment paperwork, a medical fitness statement and dental approval are required. Medical and physical standards are also listed below.
Form Links
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104-R Guides
104-R Guides
Contracting Documents and Resources:
- 104-R Process Instructions (TBD)
- 104-R Process Video (TBD)
Cadets must still replace all the ‘Electives’ with actual SFU classes, in order for the 104-R to be valid. Once the form is complete and accurately reflects an individual’s academic progression and graduation date, the Cadet and their Academic Adviser must sign on Page 2. The Professor of Military Science will sign, after all other portions are completed.
Medical
After completing the enrollment paperwork, a medical fitness statement and dental approval are required. Medical and physical standards are also listed below.
Form Links
104-R Guides
Contracting Documents and Resources:
- 104-R Process Instructions (TBD)
- 104-R Process Video (TBD)
Cadets must still replace all the ‘Electives’ with actual SFU classes, in order for the 104-R to be valid. Once the form is complete and accurately reflects an individual’s academic progression and graduation date, the Cadet and their Academic Adviser must sign on Page 2. The Professor of Military Science will sign, after all other portions are completed.
The Army Nursing Corps
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Army Nurse Corps
Army Nurse Corps
This is a collection of frequently asked questions that nursing students may have about the Army Nurse Corps.
The U.S. Army Nurse Corps was officially established by an act of Congress on February 2, 1901.
The direct, hands-on experience you receive in ROTC training won’t be found anywhere else.
Army Nurse Corps
This is a collection of frequently asked questions that nursing students may have about the Army Nurse Corps.
The U.S. Army Nurse Corps was officially established by an act of Congress on February 2, 1901.
The direct, hands-on experience you receive in ROTC training won’t be found anywhere else.
Meet Our Cadre
Mr. Christopher Chavira
Recruiting Operations Officer
724-357-7682
ROTC Schedule and Training Programs
Physical Training
- Tuesday–Thursday
- 0600–0700 hrs: All Cadets
Leadership Lab
- Thursday
- 1400–1700: All Cadets
FTX and Army Training
- Army Combat Fitness Test: Twice a Year
Army Schools and Training Programs
Cadet Troop Leader Training (CTLT):
In the summer between junior and senior year, selected cadets spend three weeks shadowing platoon leaders under the mentorship of active component Army captains. CTLT cadets practice the leadership principles they learned in the ROTC program, leading soldiers in units around the world. Cadets from previous years completed CTLT in Korea, Fort Bragg, Fort Leonard Wood, Fort Knox, and Germany.
Cadet Summer Training Basic Camp (four weeks in the summer):
Students who could not complete the ROTC Basic Course but who desire to enroll in the Advanced Course may apply to attend the Basic Camp at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Basic camp compresses the concepts normally taught during the Basic Course and makes the student eligible to compete for an ROTC scholarship. While at Basic Camp, cadets receive lodging, subsistence, uniforms, medical care, and reimbursement for travel to camp. Cadets also receive approximately $600–$800 for attending Basic Camp. Call 1-800-IUP-ROTC for more information.
Nurse Summer Training Program (NSTP):
ROTC cadets majoring in nursing have the opportunity to complete a rotation in an Army hospital or troop medical clinic, supervised by an Army officer nurse preceptor. Last year, ROTC nurse cadets completed NSTP at Fort Sam Houston, Texas; Fort Carson, Colorado; and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC.
Cadet Practical Field Training:
Cadets may volunteer/compete to attend numerous special US Army courses, to include US Army Air Assault School at various locations around the country, including Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Fort Drum, New York; Camp Smith, USMA, and National Guard mobile units; US Army Airborne school at Fort Moore, Georgia; Mountain Warfare school in Vermont; Northern Warfare school in Alaska; Cadet Survival Training at USAFA; Cadet Field Training at USMA; and Sandhurst Competition and University Officer Training Center in the United Kingdom.
The Warrior Battalion History
Founded in 1950, the Indiana University of Pennsylvania's Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) has commissioned over 1,983 Second Lieutenants into the federal Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard.
The IUP ROTC program began on October 12, 1948 when the Indiana State Teachers College (ISTC) Board of Trustees authorized Dr. Willis E. Pratt, the new president of ISTC, to enter into negotiations for the establishment of an Army ROTC unit at the college. By June 1950, Lieutenant Colonel Hubert E. Thornber arrived to assume his duties as the college's first Professor of Military Science and Tactics (PMST). Instruction began in September 1950, and ISTC assumed the important mission of providing officers solely for the Army's Quartermaster Corps - in fact, ISTC was the only college in the entire ROTC system that commissioned officers only for the Quartermaster Corps. In September 1966, the General Military Science Program was adopted, allowing IUP's ROTC program to commission officers in branches of the Army for which they were best qualified, not just the Quartermaster Corps. Under this new system, IUP graduates began to fill the ranks of the 17 major branches of the U.S. Army (Source: IUP Special Collections and University Archives, Record Group 34).
The tradition of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps was established by the U.S. Congress in 1901. These officers serve our nation at home and overseas, defending their citizens in both peacetime and war. It wasn't until 1973 that women were allowed to enroll in the program. That year, 53 female students joined ROTC across the United States. By 1977, there were over 300 women in ROTC nation-wide. The first IUP nursing major to complete the program and commission was Ann Guttendorf in 77-78, and now many nursing majors follow in her footsteps.
To this day the mission of the Department of Military Science has not changed. The department strives to educate, train, and inspire cadets so that each graduate is committed to the Warrior Ethos and the U.S. Army Values; prepared for leadership as a commissioned officer in the United States Army; and dedicated to a lifetime of selfless service to the nation. Originally required as a mandatory class for all male underclassmen, Military Science teaches the principles of leadership. Today, ROTC trains enrolled cadets to become officers, while additionally offering a Fundamentals of Military Science course that fulfills the Dimensions of Wellness requirement for the university.
The Department of Military Science is currently located on campus in Pierce Hall. Constructed with the financial assistance of the American people through the Higher Education Facilities Act, Pierce Hall was built in 1960 to house the Department of Military Science. The building was named after Colonial William Elliot Pierce, of Indiana Pennsylvania, who graduated from the then Indiana Normal School and served as an officer in the Pennsylvania National Guard. He deployed to France in the First World War and for his actions, he was awarded the Silver Star, Purple Heart, and Croix de Guire by the French government. Having a large impact on the relationship between the military and the Indiana community, Pierce Hall was appropriately named after him in his death in 1960.
Rising to the nation's call in the Second World War, IUP ROTC remembers the 4 fallen Soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice. Named after two distinguished veterans, the Piwinsky brothers' cadet work area is dedicated in honor of their sacrifices of the 338th Infantry Battalion. The lounge area of Pierce Hall is dedicated in memorial to Captain Robert Young and Lieutenant Kevin Flannery who were killed in action in the Vietnam War. Their tributes on the wall donated by their fraternity, Theta Chi, represent the strong history that ROTC has with the collegiate community. During the nationwide Vietnam War campus protests, several fraternities stepped in to help shield the ROTC department from harassment.
Starting in the 1970's, the Military Science department started the Simultaneous Membership Program with the National Guard and the Reserve components to give non-scholarship cadets a chance to serve during college and experience an officer's education. In many cases during the Cold War, only half the Military Science credits were needed and, subsequently waived, to be commissioned as an officer if a cadet had prior service experience. Today, the program allows a student to attend college courses, enroll in ROTC as a cadet and simultaneously attend drill in an Army National Guard or Army Reserves unit while earning the pay of an enlisted Sergeant
A keystone in the Army's force for generating officers, IUP's history stands out for its performance among 2nd Brigade: trophy cases full of Ranger Challenge Awards, Marksmanship Honors, and even being known as the first Training and Doctrine Command unit to conduct the revised German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge with representatives of the Bundeswehr. For more than half a century, the Military Science Department takes pride in its long history of leadership and excellence. Warrior's First.