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Army ROTCVerifiedLast verified Jul 2026

Fighting Illini Battalion

Hosted at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL

Fighting Illini Battalion trains cadets at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for service in the U.S. Army.

Fighting Illini Battalion

Quick facts

Cross-town partners3
Approximate corps size0
Annual commissions0
0
NicknameFighting Illini
Recent awardsU.S. Army Cadet Command MacArthur Award nominee (2025), Brigade-level Ranger Challenge top-three finish (2024)

About this program

Headquartered on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus in Champaign, Fighting Illini Battalion is the local accession point into the U.S. Army.

Sister-school participation is a real piece of this battalion. Cadets from Parkland College, Eastern Illinois University, and Illinois State University contract through Fighting Illini Battalion and travel to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for the military-side requirements while keeping their core degree at the partner.

On the scholarship side: AROTC 4-Year National, AROTC 3-Year Advanced, Minuteman (Reserve/Guard) are all live channels at Fighting Illini Battalion. Academically, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is well-regarded for international affairs and language study — a track that pairs well with ROTC's emphasis on technical and leadership majors.

Cross-town partners

InstitutionRelationshipDistanceNotes
Parkland College
, IL
cross-town0.0 mi
Eastern Illinois University
, IL
cross-town0.0 mi
Illinois State University
, IL
cross-town0.0 mi

Scholarships available

See the Army scholarship overview for the full slate of scholarships activatable at Fighting Illini Battalion.

Academic programs at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Cadets at Fighting Illini Battalion pursue degrees across University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's undergraduate catalog. Branch-preferred fields (engineering, foreign language, nursing, computer science) often carry scholarship benefits. See University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's profile →

Training & summer

Army cadets attend Cadet Summer Training (CST) at Fort Knox between their MS-III and MS-IV years for Advanced Camp, plus optional CULP overseas, Airborne, and Air Assault schools.

Contact & location

Address: Champaign, IL

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Recent news

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Photos

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Fighting Illini Battalion located?
Fighting Illini Battalion is hosted at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, IL.
Can students at other schools join Fighting Illini Battalion?
Yes — Fighting Illini Battalion accepts cross-town and partner students from 3 other institutions, including Parkland College, Eastern Illinois University, Illinois State University. See the cross-town partners table for distance and enrollment paths.
Can I commission through Fighting Illini Battalion as any major?
Army programs accept students from most academic majors at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Some scholarships and commissioning options (e.g., nursing, engineering, foreign-language) carry major requirements — confirm with the unit before declaring.
How do I contact Fighting Illini Battalion?
See the contact section for current cadre information.

Related programs

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