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Blue Hen Battalion · Blue Hen
Army ROTC at University of Delaware commissions officers alongside Delaware State University cross-town students.
About this program
Blue Hen Battalion is University of Delaware's officer-accessions program for the U.S. Army.
Blue Hen Battalion runs as a consortium for cadets from Delaware State University, Goldey-Beacom College, Wilmington University, and Delaware Technical Community College as well as University of Delaware. Cross-town students typically retain their primary residency and academics at the home campus and route only military-side coursework through the host.
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. University of Delaware cadets pursue degrees across a wide spectrum, with biology and pre-health programs and history and the humanities drawing strong cohorts.
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 Blue Hen Battalion by commuting to University of Delaware.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of Delaware.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of Delaware.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of Delaware.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of Delaware.
Contact & location
Located at: University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716
Army ROTC FAQ
Where is Blue Hen Battalion located?
Blue Hen Battalion is hosted at University of Delaware in Delaware. The battalion's training events, classes, and PT all run on the University of Delaware campus.
Which colleges and universities can attend Blue Hen Battalion?
In addition to University of Delaware, students enrolled at Delaware State University, Goldey-Beacom College, Wilmington University, and Delaware Technical Community College can contract through Blue Hen 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 Blue Hen 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 Blue Hen 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 Blue Hen 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 Blue Hen 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 Blue Hen Battalion?
Yes — Blue Hen Battalion accepts cross-town and partner students from 4 other institutions, including Goldey-Beacom College, Wilmington University, Delaware Technical Community College, Delaware State University. See the cross-town options for distance and enrollment paths.
Can I commission through Blue Hen Battalion as any major?
Army programs accept students from most academic majors at University of Delaware. Some scholarships and commissioning options (e.g., nursing, engineering, foreign-language) carry major requirements — confirm with the unit before declaring.
Interested in Blue Hen 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.