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Tar Heel Battalion · Tar Heel
Army ROTC in Chapel Hill, NC runs out of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the Tar Heel Battalion.
About this program
The Tar Heel Battalion at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill trains students to serve as officers in the U.S. Army while they pursue regular UNC degrees and campus life. The program is known for producing officers of high character who are competent and committed, and its cadets stay deeply involved in campus organizations, club and intramural sports, and volunteer groups. A hallmark of the battalion is its record of excellence: it won the prestigious MacArthur Award as the top program in 4th Brigade in 2025, adding to earlier wins in 1997, 1999, 2003, and 2023.
Built around a commitment to quality leadership and engagement with the UNC and Chapel Hill community, the Tar Heel Battalion holds cadets to a high standard while giving them everything a major research university has to offer. Cadets who complete the four-year Army ROTC curriculum and meet medical, fitness, and academic standards commission as officers in the Active Army, Army Reserve, or Army National Guard.
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 Tar Heel Battalion by commuting to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Cross-enroll students take Military Science courses at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Contact & location
Email: armyrotc@unc.edu
Phone: 919-962-7347
Site: https://armyrotc.unc.edu
Located at: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
Army ROTC FAQ
Where is Tar Heel Battalion located?
Tar Heel Battalion is hosted at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The battalion's training events, classes, and PT all run on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus.
Which colleges and universities can attend Tar Heel Battalion?
In addition to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, students enrolled at Duke University, North Carolina Central University, Meredith College, William Peace University, Saint Augustine's University, and Shaw University can contract through Tar Heel 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 Tar Heel 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 Tar Heel 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 Tar Heel 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 Tar Heel 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.
What awards has the Tar Heel Battalion won?
UNC's battalion won the MacArthur Award as the top program in 4th Brigade in 2025, following earlier MacArthur wins in 1997, 1999, 2003, and 2023.
What is the Tar Heel Battalion known for?
It has a tradition of producing officers of high character who are competent and committed, with cadets active across campus organizations, club and intramural sports, and volunteer groups.
Interested in Tar Heel 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.