The Civilian Marksmanship Program annually provides one hundred $1000 scholarships to current Army, Marine Corps and Navy JROTC seniors and ROTC cadets who are underclassmen enrolled in college Army or Navy ROTC programs. Applicants must also have a good academic record and have a record of success as a member of a college club, ROTC or varsity rifle team. This highly-acclaimed program has allowed the CMP to reward JROTC and ROTC cadets who display leadership and excellence both in the classroom and on the rifle range.

When this program was introduced in the spring of 2000, only 33 applicants qualified for the first CMP scholarships, but the program quickly grew and now all one hundred scholarships are awarded annually. Each year many outstanding applications are reviewed by the Scholarship Committees that determine which applicants are the most deserving. Even thought the number of applicants exceeds the number of CMP scholarships, there are still many well-qualified, potential applicants who should be encouraged to consider enrolling in ROTC and in applying for the CMP scholarships.

To be eligible to apply for a CMP ROTC Scholarship, a cadet must be a US citizen who is currently a high school senior enrolled in JROTC or a college freshman, sophomore or junior enrolled in ROTC. Applicants must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA, be a successful participant on a competitive rifle team and demonstrate the potential to become an officer in the Armed Services. Applicants’ leadership records is also taken into consideration. Successful applicants must enroll in ROTC for the 2008 fall semester in order to receive their scholarships.

Applications for scholarships for the 2008-2009 school year are being accepted now. The deadline for applications is 5 March 2008 for Army and Marine Corps applications, and 7 March 2008 for Navy applications. If you think you or someone you know might qualify for the 2008-2009 CMP ROTC Scholarships, visit the CMP website at http://www.odcmp.com/Programs/Scholarship.htm, or click on the scholarship link provided directly on the CMP home page at http://www.odcmp.com. Application forms and regulations for each service branch are available for downloading directly from the website. If you would like to see a list of previous scholarship recipients, visit the CMP Scholarship Honor Roll at http://www.odcmp.com/Programs/honor_roll.htm.

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