The Navy ROTC scholarship runs on a fixed calendar, and the families who do best treat that calendar as the plan. Miss the deadline and the application does not move forward. Submit a complete file early and you are reviewed by a board that still has scholarships to give. This page lays out the dates for the current cycle and what to do with them.
The 2026-2027 Navy ROTC board dates
The Navy Option board does not meet once. It convenes roughly every month through the application season, reviewing completed files as they arrive. The scheduled boards for the 2026-2027 cycle are:
- 19–23 October 2026
- 16–20 November 2026
- 14–18 December 2026
- 11–15 January 2027
- 25–29 January 2027 (Pre-Med Board)
- 8–12 February 2027
- 22–26 February 2027
- 8–12 March 2027
- 22–26 March 2027
- 12–16 April 2027 (Last board)
Two cautions on this list. Some of the scheduled boards may not be held in a given year, depending on how many scholarships remain. And the dates can shift slightly, so confirm them against the official NROTC application portal before you build your timeline around any single board.
Navy ROTC deadlines at a glance
Beyond the board dates, four hard dates govern the cycle. None of them are flexible.
- Application deadline: 31 January 2027. Every requirement must be submitted by this date for a high school applicant entering college in fall 2027.
- Pre-Med option deadline: 31 December 2026. The Pre-Med path closes a month earlier than the standard application.
- Portal opened: 1 April 2026. The 2026-2027 application has been open since the spring of junior year.
- Test scores: NROTC Test Code 0565. Your SAT or ACT scores must be sent to this code for the packet to count as complete.
Why an earlier board matters
The boards review files on a rolling basis, and the supply of scholarships is finite. That means the math favors applicants who are ready early: an October or November board still has the full slate of awards in front of it, while a March or April board is working from what is left.
There is one more wrinkle at the end of the season. The final board in April is where the Navy adjusts its threshold if it still needs to fill numbers, so late outcomes are harder to predict. Plan to be reviewed well before then.
When you will hear back
Results from each board are normally announced about two weeks after the board concludes. So an October board produces decisions in early November, and so on down the calendar. If you are placed on a later board or deferred, your file simply rolls forward to be reviewed again, which is another reason an early, complete submission helps.
Send your SAT or ACT scores correctly
A packet is not complete until your test scores arrive, and they arrive on their own timeline. Send your SAT or ACT results to NROTC Test Code 0565, and do it early enough that the scores post before the board you are aiming for. For the score minimums and what a competitive profile looks like, see our guide to the Navy ROTC scholarship.
The Marine Corps Option has its own dates
If your student is pursuing the Marine Corps Option, the Navy Option calendar on this page does not apply. The Marine Corps runs a separate board through Marine Corps Recruiting Command, and those dates are released later in the year. Track them on our Navy ROTC Marine Corps Option scholarship dates page.
How to apply
Start the application at the official NROTC portal, then build out the packet: test scores, the fitness assessment, an officer interview, essays, teacher evaluations, and recommendations. Because the boards meet on a rolling schedule, the goal is a complete file as early in the fall as you can manage. For how officers score that file once it reaches the board, see the Navy ROTC board selection process, and for the essays specifically, our Navy ROTC essay examples.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Navy ROTC scholarship deadline for 2027?
For the 2026-2027 cycle (students entering college in fall 2027), the Navy ROTC scholarship deadline is 31 January 2027. The Pre-Med option closes earlier, on 31 December 2026.
When are the Navy ROTC board dates?
Navy Option boards meet monthly from October 2026 through April 2027, with a dedicated Pre-Med board on 25 to 29 January 2027. Some scheduled boards may not be held, depending on how many scholarships remain.
When do you hear back from a Navy ROTC board?
Results are normally announced about two weeks after a board concludes. A file reviewed by the October board, for example, typically produces a decision in early November.
Does it help to apply for an earlier Navy ROTC board?
Yes. Boards review files on a rolling basis and the supply of scholarships is finite, so earlier boards have more awards left to give. Aim to be reviewed by a fall board rather than waiting for the January deadline.
What test code do I send my SAT or ACT scores to for Navy ROTC?
Send your SAT or ACT scores to NROTC Test Code 0565. The packet is not complete until those scores arrive, so send them early enough to post before your target board.
When did the 2026-2027 Navy ROTC application open?
The 2026-2027 application portal opened on 1 April 2026. Because boards run on a rolling schedule from the fall, starting early is a real advantage.