Army Green to Gold Scholarship Program
Army Green to Gold ROTC Hip Pocket Program
If you serve as an enlisted member in the Army, you may be looking for a way to move forward in your career. The Army’s Hip Pocket Scholarships, part of the Army’s Green To Gold program, are one way to do so.
The Army official site states, “If you join as an enlisted Soldier and later want to commission as an Army Officer, the Green to Gold program can help you get there. As a commissioned Officer, you’ll serve as a leader, problem-solver, mission planner, and mentor to junior Soldiers, while making an impact across the globe.”
The Green To Gold ROTC program is described as being “separate from our standard education benefits.” If you enlisted as an Army recruit with a high school diploma, “you’ll need a four-year bachelor’s degree to make the switch to Officership” according to the Army, and that’s where Army ROTC scholarship programs like Hip Pocket come in.
According to Army.mil, there are a number of options under Green to Gold:
- Green to Gold Scholarship, for soldiers who want to leave active duty to attend college “while receiving full tuition or room and board (capped), flat rate book payment and a monthly stipend.”
- Green to Gold Active-Duty for those who want to remain on Active Duty and attend college.
- Green to Gold Division Commander’s Hip Pocket Scholarship offered to “selected Soldiers”. This allows students to finish a bachelor’s degree and earn an Army ROTC commission.
- Green to Gold Non-Scholarship for those who want to leave active duty and go to college “while receiving a monthly stipend.”
What Are Green to Gold Scholarships?
Hip Pocket Scholarships provide selected soldiers the opportunity to complete their baccalaureate degree requirements and obtain a commission through participation in the Army ROTC Scholarship Program.
Army.mil notes, “Each year, division commanders may nominate deserving Soldiers for two, three, and four-year Green to Gold scholarships. Units are encouraged to nominate Soldiers that have exhibited the potential for further outstanding service to the United States and the Army as Commissioned Officers. Interested Soldiers are encouraged to follow-up with their chain of command.”
Each year Army commanders nominate “deserving soldiers for two, three, or four-year Green to Gold scholarships.”
Application Process
There are two parts to the process, the Selection phase and the Qualification phase.
Within the Selection phase, candidates are verified by a board of eight Professors of Military Science (PMS) and two Senior Enlisted Advisors. They review completed applications.
In the Qualification phase, the soldier must be administratively and medically qualified. The soldier must upload all of their required documents to be qualified administratively. In order to be medically qualified, the soldier must be cleared by a Department of Defense Medical Evaluations Review Board.
Who Can Qualify for the Green to Gold Scholarship?
Students must be full-time, taking a minimum of 4 (3 for a master’s degree) and a maximum of 6 classes per semester. 75% of scheduled classes need to be taken in a classroom environment.
Some of the qualifications include being a US citizen, being eligible for appointment as a commissioned officer in the US Army, being under 31 years of age as of December 31st of the year of graduation and completing all requirements for commission, and having completed less than 10 years of Active Federal Service. You can find the full list of eligibility requirements here.
What Does the Scholarship Cover?
- Provides financial assistance toward college tuition and educational fees or room and board.
- There is a flat rate for textbooks, classroom supplies, and equipment.
- There may be a tax-free subsistence allowance of an annually published amount per month for up to 10 months a school year.
- Students may be paid while attending the Cadet Summer Training (CST).
What Will I Be Expected to Do if I Get the Scholarship?
There is an eight-year service obligation upon commissioning if you get this scholarship.
How Do I Apply for an Army Green to Gold Scholarship?
The application window opens in June. Applications are due in November, and those moving to phase two will be notified in late January. To apply, scroll to the bottom of the Army Green To Gold official site and click on the button “TAKE THE NEXT STEP: CREATE AN ACCOUNT” to get started.
