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Gaucho Battalion · Gaucho
The Gaucho Battalion commissions U.S. Army officers at University of California, Santa Barbara.
About this program
Headquartered on the University of California, Santa Barbara campus in Santa Barbara, Gaucho Battalion is the local accession point into the U.S. Army.
Sister-school participation is a real piece of this battalion. Cadets from Westmont College, Santa Barbara City College, California State University Channel Islands, and California Lutheran University contract through Gaucho Battalion and travel to University of California, Santa Barbara 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 Gaucho Battalion. Academically, University of California, Santa Barbara is well-regarded for international affairs and language study — a track that pairs well with ROTC's emphasis on technical and leadership majors.
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 Gaucho Battalion by commuting to University of California, Santa Barbara.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of California, Santa Barbara.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of California, Santa Barbara.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of California, Santa Barbara.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of California, Santa Barbara.
Contact & location
Located at: University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Army ROTC FAQ
Where is Gaucho Battalion located?
Gaucho Battalion is hosted at University of California, Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, California. The battalion's training events, classes, and PT all run on the University of California, Santa Barbara campus.
Which colleges and universities can attend Gaucho Battalion?
In addition to University of California, Santa Barbara, students enrolled at Westmont College, Santa Barbara City College, California State University Channel Islands, and California Lutheran University can contract through Gaucho 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 Gaucho 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 Gaucho 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 Gaucho 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 Gaucho Battalion?
Yes — Gaucho Battalion accepts cross-town and partner students from 4 other institutions, including Santa Barbara City College, Westmont College, California State University Channel Islands, California Lutheran University. See the cross-town options for distance and enrollment paths.
Can I commission through Gaucho Battalion as any major?
Army programs accept students from most academic majors at University of California, Santa Barbara. Some scholarships and commissioning options (e.g., nursing, engineering, foreign-language) carry major requirements — confirm with the unit before declaring.
How do I contact Gaucho Battalion?
See the contact section for current cadre information.
Interested in Gaucho Battalion?
Send your details and the cadre can reach out about visits, scholarships, and next steps.
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