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Garden State Battalion · Garden State
The Garden State Battalion commissions U.S. Army officers at Rutgers University.
About this program
Run by cadre at Rutgers University, Garden State Battalion is the Army ROTC battalion for New Brunswick and surrounding New Jersey. Cadets and alumni use the unit's nickname, the Garden State, on guidons and class shirts.
Cross-town agreements bring The College of New Jersey, Princeton University, Rider University, and Drew University into the battalion's footprint. Most cross-town cadets keep their primary academics at the partner school and travel to Rutgers University for ROTC class and lab.
The battalion runs all standard Army ROTC scholarship channels: AROTC 4-Year National, AROTC 3-Year Advanced, Minuteman (Reserve/Guard). Major-wise, cadets here cluster around engineering and physical sciences and history and the humanities, with cadre encouraging technical degrees where the cadet's career interests fit.
Scholarships available here
Scholarship route obligating service in the Army Reserve or National Guard rather than active duty.
Service obligation: 8 years
Active-duty enlisted soldiers transition to officer via ROTC with several scholarship options (2-year, 3-year, 4-year).
Service obligation: 8 years
On-campus scholarship awarded to enrolled cadets at the start of their MS-II year.
Service obligation: 6 years
Covers full tuition and fees OR room and board (your choice), plus a $420/month stipend (10 months/yr) and $1,200/yr book allowance. Merit-based board score with PT assessment and SAT/ACT. Application opened June 14, 2026; final deadline to start an application is March 4, 2027. Three selection boards (Oct, Jan, Mar). 8-year total service obligation; you can exit after freshman year with no obligation.
Service obligation: 8 years
Cross-town & partner schools served
Students at these schools can commission through Garden State Battalion by commuting to Rutgers University.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Rutgers University.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Rutgers University.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Rutgers University.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Rutgers University.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at Rutgers University.
Contact & location
Located at: Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1281
Army ROTC FAQ
Where is Garden State Battalion located?
Garden State Battalion is hosted at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The battalion's training events, classes, and PT all run on the Rutgers University campus.
Which colleges and universities can attend Garden State Battalion?
In addition to Rutgers University, students enrolled at The College of New Jersey, Princeton University, Rider University, Drew University, Rutgers Newark, and New Jersey Institute of Technology can contract through Garden State Battalion via cross-town agreements. Cross-town cadets keep their primary academics at the partner school and travel to the host for ROTC-side coursework.
What scholarships are available through Garden State Battalion?
Army ROTC cadets at this battalion compete for AROTC 4-Year National, AROTC 3-Year Advanced, Minuteman (Reserve/Guard), Green-to-Gold (prior-enlisted). National awards apply out of high school; on-campus side-loads kick in once a cadet is enrolled and contracted.
What's the Army ROTC summer training for cadets at Garden State Battalion?
After the MS-III year, cadets ship to Cadet Summer Training (Advanced Camp) at Fort Knox for the 31-day capstone evaluation that drives branching and order-of-merit standing.
How big is the corps at Garden State Battalion?
Public corps-size figures aren't always published year-to-year; Army ROTC battalions in this size class generally carry between several dozen and a few hundred contracted cadets depending on host enrollment.
What's the commissioning path through Garden State Battalion?
Cadets who complete the four-year Army ROTC curriculum and meet medical, fitness, and academic standards commission as officers in the U.S. Army. The battalion reports through U.S. Army Cadet Command.
Can students at other schools join Garden State Battalion?
Yes — Garden State Battalion accepts cross-town and partner students from 5 other institutions, including Princeton University, Drew University, Rider University, Rutgers University-Newark. See the cross-town options for distance and enrollment paths.
Can I commission through Garden State Battalion as any major?
Army programs accept students from most academic majors at Rutgers University. Some scholarships and commissioning options (e.g., nursing, engineering, foreign-language) carry major requirements — confirm with the unit before declaring.
Interested in Garden State Battalion?
Send your details and the cadre can reach out about visits, scholarships, and next steps.
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