Army ROTC cadets from Penn State University compete in the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition in West Point, N.Y., on May 2, 2025. (U.S. Army)

Nearly 300 college students in the Army’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps will see their units affected by a downsizing triggered from cuts to the civilian workforce behind the program, service officials said.

Ten universities will drop an existing Army ROTC unit, and another 46 programs will reduce on-campus resources and staff. The changes are set to occur in the summer of 2026 and will not affect those entering their senior year in a program.

“This rebalance and optimization effort ensures we meet the Army’s requirements for officer commissioning while being good stewards of resources,” said Brig. Gen. Maurice Barnett, commander of Army Cadet Command. “Our approach allows us to sustain and strengthen ROTC programs while providing quality training to cadets across the country.”

Roughly 900 campuses nationwide will continue to train future Army officers after the rebalancing, the service said. The changes will allow the Army to scale officer training as needed and avoid “hollow units,” the service said. It also allows soldiers working for the program to move to other jobs prioritized by the Army.

About 70% of Army officers commission through ROTC, and about 15,000 students receive merit-based scholarships each year through the program, according to the Army.

The changes were sparked by the federal government’s deferred resignation program, which has allowed some federal employees to leave their jobs in government and continue to receive pay through September. In the Cadet Command, which oversees Army ROTC, 168 civilian workers resigned, which cut about 12% of its workforce, the service said.

As part of the ROTC reduction, the Army will inactivate the 1st Brigade headquarters at Fort Knox, Ky. The unit provided support to six senior and four junior military colleges across the country, which include The Citadel in South Carolina and Texas A&M University. The brigade’s workload will transfer to the other seven brigades in the command.

For those 291 students affected by the changes, 144 are incoming juniors and seniors and should see only a minor impact while completing their contract and commissioning into the service because it will take about two years to make all the changes, according to Cadet Command.

For other students, 108 are not in a contract with the Army, which means they are taking ROTC courses but do not plan to commission. Another 16 are incoming freshmen or sophomores who will have to make a decision, the command said.

They can either transfer to a school continuing with an ROTC program, or the Army will allow them to walk away from their contract without consequences.

“Throughout this process, our commitment remains unchanged — producing high-caliber officers of character to lead our Army,” Barnett said. “We are working closely with our workforce, cadets and academic partners to ensure a smooth transition while preserving the quality of our ROTC programs.”

The 10 universities leaving Army ROTC:

•California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

•University of Northern Iowa

•Western Illinois University

•Truman State University, Mo.

•Elizabeth City State University, N.C.

•Saint Augustine’s University, N.C.

•Clarkson University, N.Y.

•John Carroll University, Ohio

•University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

•West Virginia State University

The full list of changes: https://www.army.mil/article/286683