Worried about the rising cost of college tuition and the dismal job market? Uncle Sam may be your answer.

Though you may not have considered a military career before, current high school students would be doing themselves a service to check out the many scholarship programs offered through the Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC).

ROTC scholarships for students attending college cover tuition and service after you’ve graduated. Nobody can predict what the economy will look like in four years, but has there ever been a better time to start your post-college career off debt free with guaranteed career placement.

Based on merit and scholastic performance, high school students are encouraged to apply to ROTC scholarships as early as possible (by the end of their junior year), and it looks as though many are already wise to the government cheese.

The Department of Defense reported an increase in 4-year ROTC scholarship applications across all four divisions: Army, Air Force, Navy and US Marine Corps.

From 2008 to 2009 completed Army ROTC scholarship applications were up 12% to 7,138. The four year Army ROTC scholarship also features options to include room and board as well as student loan repayment options.

Though 2009 numbers were not available, the Air Force reported an increase in scholarship applicants from 2007 to 2008 of 12,000 to 13,559. The Navy and USMC reported increased scholarship applicants from 4,689 to 5,486 for the same years. The Navy has also made scholarship eligibility more accessible by allowing SAT scores be waived for applicants ranking in the top 10% of their high school.

Check out Army ROTC’s list of careers and scholarships to get an idea of what your government can do for you. Hey, it beats student loans and unemployment.

Outside of Reserve Officers Training Corps programs, the military also provides generous tuition assistance via the Post 9/11 GI Bill for service members (both on active duty and not) and even offers grants to foreign language students interested in government service: http://www.nsep.gov/students/. 

Do you have any advice or inquiries regarding ROTC scholarship programs for high school students?