Army ROTCVerifiedRanger ChallengeDrill TeamColor GuardArmy ROTC at University of Akron
Zip Battalion · Zip
Zip Battalion hosts Army ROTC at University of Akron and 4 partner schools across Ohio.
About this program
Zip Battalion sits inside University of Akron as the campus's Army ROTC battalion. The mission is straightforward — produce U.S. Army officers — and the cadre run a four-year curriculum to do exactly that.
Kent State University, Stark State College, Mount Union University, and Walsh University are the cross-town partner schools feeding Zip Battalion. All ROTC-side curriculum runs at the host; partner-school students typically attend twice a week and full PT three to five mornings.
Cadets compete for the AROTC 4-Year National Scholarship as high-school seniors and the 3-Year Advanced board on contract. Minuteman seats route Reserve and National Guard contracts, and Green-to-Gold opens the door for prior-enlisted soldiers transitioning to officer. On the academic side, University of Akron draws cadets into history and the humanities as well as engineering and physical sciences, and the cadre work directly with academic advising on time-conflict resolution between ROTC and major requirements.
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 Zip Battalion by commuting to University of Akron.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of Akron.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of Akron.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of Akron.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of Akron.
Contact & location
Located at: University of Akron, Akron, OH 44306-3931
Army ROTC FAQ
Where is Zip Battalion located?
Zip Battalion is hosted at University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The battalion's training events, classes, and PT all run on the University of Akron campus.
Which colleges and universities can attend Zip Battalion?
In addition to University of Akron, students enrolled at Kent State University, Stark State College, Mount Union University, and Walsh University can contract through Zip 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 Zip 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 Zip 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 Zip 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.
Can students at other schools join Zip Battalion?
Yes — Zip Battalion accepts cross-town and partner students from 4 other institutions, including Stark State College, Walsh University, Mount Union University, Kent State University. See the cross-town options for distance and enrollment paths.
Can I commission through Zip Battalion as any major?
Army programs accept students from most academic majors at University of Akron. Some scholarships and commissioning options (e.g., nursing, engineering, foreign-language) carry major requirements — confirm with the unit before declaring.
How do I contact Zip Battalion?
See the contact section for current cadre information.
Interested in Zip Battalion?
Send your details and the cadre can reach out about visits, scholarships, and next steps.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense or any branch of the U.S. military.