STA-21
THE PROGRAM
The STA-21 Commissioning Program is designed to meet the goals of the Navy in the 21st Century, while at the same time creating a fair and equitable system for outstanding active duty Sailors to receive a top-notch college education and become commissioned officers in the Unrestricted Line ((URL); Restricted Line in Human Resources; Special Duty Officer in Intelligence, Warfare (formerly Cryptologic) and Oceanography; Staff Corps in Civil Engineering (CEC), Medical Corps (MC), Nurse Corps (NC), or Supply Corps (SC).
A STA-21 participant joins with her NROTC unit.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
For information concerning the requirements and process of application for the STA-21 please see this link.
The NSI training received by STA-21 participants before joining their NROTC unit.
LIFE IN THE PROGRAM
After selection for the STA-21 program, Officer Candidates will need to ensure acceptance into the university they have applied for. When the Officer Candidate has received their NROTC unit assignment, they will attend the 8-week Naval Science Institute course to receive training in the basic naval officer competencies. The Officer Candidates will join their assigned units upon completion of this course and become acting members of the NROTC unit. The Officer Candidate is required to be registered as a full-time student for all available academic terms in the year. After the Officer Candidate has completed their degree program and reached graduation, the Officer Candidate will be commissioned as an Ensign and are sent for further training in their specific officer community.
The STA-21 Program will keep all members on active duty receiving all pay and allowances associated with their current enlisted pay grade. While the time the Officer Candidate spends in school will not count towards retirement, it will count towards pay purposes and they will still be eligible for enlisted advancement. STA-21 participants will receive up to $10,000 per year for tuition, books, and fees, but all costs over $10,000 must be covered by the Officer Candidate. Officer Candidates attending universities that do not require the full $10,000 are not permitted to keep the difference.