Corps of Cadets scholarships restructured for impact

When Nicole Freeman Ramos, scholarship manager for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, started in her position in February 2023, she didn’t know what level of financial need cadets faced.

“Now, after a year with the corps, I can honestly say that the impact that our scholarship program has made on some of our cadets is overwhelming,” said Ramos.

It hit home for her during the fall semester when she met with a cadet who had no way to pay his upcoming tuition bill due to a devastating change in his family situation. He also shared that he did not have money for food. Because of corps donors, he was able to stay at Virginia Tech and receive assistance. 

It’s not an uncommon story, and it’s one of the reasons that in the last year, the Corps of Cadets has restructured scholarships and created additional funds to be more impactful for cadets.

The impact on the cadet's family, like many cadet families, was real. His mother reached out to vow that when she is able, she plans to donate to the corps to help other cadets the same way donors helped hers.

The restructuring of cadet scholarships and funds aligns well with Virginia Tech Advantage, a universitywide commitment to offer the broad educational experience to Virginia students with financial need. The Corps of Cadets' previous scholarship method was based on a tiered system that placed use limitations on the awarding abilities due to the limited scholarship funding that the corps once faced. Compounding the corps advancement team’s successful investment strategies and the powerful support from donor gifts, scholarship funding has consistently increased over the last few years.

The Emerging Leader Scholarship was created years ago to offer financial assistance to at least 200 cadets each year. While the scholarship name remains the same, the restructured Emerging Leader Scholarship offers a minimum of $1,000 each year to all cadets in good standing who have a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with the university. The amount of money awarded in each scholarship factors in the overall merit and unmet need of each student, based on the FASFA. This allows for a more flexible solution for those who may need additional assistance to attend Virginia Tech and the corps. This new high-impact method allows the corps to assist cadets from all walks of life. 

To address the growing need of emergency tuition and educational expenses support, the corps also created the Commandant’s Response Scholarship Fund to allow donors to contribute to a scholarship fund that addresses emergency issues. This annual fund can accept donations at any amount as one-time payments or a pledge over multiple years and allows the corps to retain cadets who otherwise would have to leave the university with unexpected financial constraints. Almost half of the corps’ population is classified as having a financial need, meaning the amount that students and their families can pay for their education is less than what it costs to attend each year. While an Emerging Leader Scholarship would aid a cadet in that circumstance, the Commandant’s Response Fund assists those who have unexpected financial emergencies.

Along with the Commandant’s Response Scholarship Fund, the corps has continued the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Scholarship Annual Fund to supplement Emerging Leader Scholarships to allow for larger awards. This flexibility allows the corps to give extra funding to those who have higher unmet need. Both annual scholarship funds are important to the success of the corps’ scholarship program.

Cadets can receive scholarships from the corps and their respective federally funded ROTC programs, housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. ROTC scholarships provide a range of funding, which can include full tuition and fee coverage for in-state and out-of-state cadets, depending on the ROTC branch. Currently, the Emerging Leader Scholarship program is unable to fully provide coverage for tuition and fees or room and board, but with the recent updates to the program, it is a priority to help cadets attend and continue to stay at with the corps at Virginia Tech as an undergraduate. Emerging Leader Scholarships are especially important for those not receiving ROTC scholarships. 

With the rising costs of college education and the urgent situations that cadets sometimes face, the corps’ scholarship program focuses on consistent growth to address financial needs. As the university, through Virginia Tech Advantage, works to meet students' needs, the corps will continue to do the same, with the support of corps donors.

Those interested in supporting corps scholarships on Giving Day, Feb. 21-22, can visit https://give.vt.edu/supportvtcc to choose from several fund options to make a difference for cadets. 

Written by Katie Mallory and Nicole Freeman Ramos