Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Ex-ROTC Recruit Forced to Pay Back Tuition [gotta love government bureaucracy]
WJLA ABC 7 Washington, DC ^ | 2009-03-25

Posted on 03/25/2009 7:07:20 PM PDT by rabscuttle385

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - If it seems like a nightmare now, it started with a dream come true.

Anna Viviano got into one of the best schools in the country, and as an ROTC recruit, she didn't have to pay a penny.

"I talked to a couple recruiters and they were just like you can go to Vanderbilt for free," she recalled.

And for two and a-half years, Viviano thrived -- second in her ROTC class and a near-perfect GPA.

"I thought everything was going swimmingly -- was right on track to do what I wanted," she said.

Then came the unexpected. During a doctor's visit for allergies, she was diagnosed with asthma. Two months after that, in December 2005, she got news from the Navy.

"And that's when they told me you're being kicked out because you have exercise induced asthma," she recalled.

Not only was she medically discharged, she had to pay back what the Navy had spent on tuition for her first two and a-half years: $75,000. It was to be paid in full within the month.

"And when that didn't happen, they asked for $20,000 on top of that," Viviano said.

Three years of appeals to the Navy -- and three letters of rejection later -- 24 year-old Anna Viviano now owes $100,000.

"And it just feels like I'm yelling out there and nobody's hearing," she said. "And I hired a lawyer, thinking he's got a bigger voice but he just got drowned out just like me."

Viviano is now a graduate student at the University of Maryland. She says she is considering suing the Navy and considering filing for bankruptcy.

A Navy official says the Navy is looking into the matter but decline to comment, saying each case is different and a response will take time.


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; US: Maryland; US: Tennessee
KEYWORDS: bureaucrats; dfas; dod; educationfunding; highereducation; military; rotc
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-99 next last
To: rabscuttle385

I was in NROTC with a guy who had passed his physical and was accepted into the program. 2 years later they found a problem with a heart valve and discharged him. Hew as never asked for money.


61 posted on 03/27/2009 9:49:30 AM PDT by CaptRon (Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rabscuttle385

Part of the contract that she signed is that she would fulfill the obligations - when she was no longer able to perform should the Navy have just said well, thanks for two good years of once a month meetings for which we get no benefit of service?

I’m tired of whiners.


62 posted on 03/27/2009 9:53:11 AM PDT by BlueNgold (... Feed the tree!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rabscuttle385
I never understood why anyone would want to go in the Navy when they could join the military instead....

(DUCKING!!!)

63 posted on 03/27/2009 9:56:57 AM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JoeViviano

Welcome to FR!


64 posted on 03/27/2009 10:57:30 AM PDT by rabscuttle385 ("If this be treason, then make the most of it!" —Patrick Henry)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: rabscuttle385

Looks to me like she could get Mukulski and Hardin on the Navy’s back and force it to quickly cave in, if there are in fact no other unstated circumstances in this story.


65 posted on 03/27/2009 10:58:35 AM PDT by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin is a smart missile aimed at the heart of the left!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LadyNavyVet
I think you and your wife need to keep in mind that the Navy has the upper hand here...

Of course, the Navy has the upper hand. The Government always has the upper hand. After all, it's the Government, and it's bigger than you, has unlimited resources, and unlimited manpower, and even if you're in the right, by the time you've successfully fought off the hordes of bureaucrats, the damage is already done.

66 posted on 03/27/2009 11:02:50 AM PDT by rabscuttle385 ("If this be treason, then make the most of it!" —Patrick Henry)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: JoeViviano

Thank you for posting more information on this matter. Th service branch rejected her due to medical conditions that would not have prevented her from fulfilling her obligations in other ways. That is their decision and one they should eat.

I wish you both good luck.


67 posted on 03/27/2009 11:23:52 AM PDT by misterrob (FUBO----Just say it, Foooooooooooooo Boooooooowwwwww. Smooth)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: PERKY2004

Same for academy accept the appointment and decide to drop out and you had to recompense - though after 2nd year completion of a 4 year enlistment was also required - at least back in 80s while I was there.

Both my appointment and ROTC scholarship (fallback plan) was predicated on passing a DFAS physical. I ran cross country so had to go back three times and drop off the team to prove I had no protein issues - running adds albumin to the blood - who’d thunk .....I digress....

Unless they changed the terms medical disqualification by the service did not create a financial burden on the disqualifiee as it was determined to be in the best interest of the service. However voluntarily dropping or being forced to drop due to inappropriate behavior, etc did subject them to the charge.


68 posted on 03/27/2009 11:27:37 AM PDT by reed13 (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: BlueNgold

She didn’t opt out. They said, “no thanks”. She’s still willing to serve. The duties might not be combat related or anything more meaningful than pushing paper but they could find a job for her if they chose to. She could have completed her 4 years, walked onto a ship then suffered an injury that would have required a medical discharge. Should she have to pay it back then?


69 posted on 03/27/2009 11:31:43 AM PDT by misterrob (FUBO----Just say it, Foooooooooooooo Boooooooowwwwww. Smooth)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: magellan
As for asthma, it is hard to see that as disqualifying to all duties if it is controllable. Heck, almost everyone under 30 seems to have asthma now. I don't know if it was based in fact, but in the movie "Blackhawk Down", one of the soldiers has asthma.

Nope, at least not in the Army some years ago. Had a close friend go down to Advanced Camp at Fort Bragg and they found out he had asthma previously diagnosed in the military (he was prior service). He disclosed on his forms when entering ROTC, but when they took a look at that at Womack, they medically disqualified him - non waiverable. He went in front of a medical review board to appeal the decision - nada.

70 posted on 03/27/2009 11:34:13 AM PDT by Fury
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: rabscuttle385
She says she is considering suing the Navy

Sounds like the Navy is breaching the contract. She seems to be the one willing to stay in ROTC.

71 posted on 03/27/2009 11:44:36 AM PDT by Tribune7 (Obama wants to put the same crowd that ran Fannie Mae in charge of health care)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JoeViviano

If everything you say is true, the Navy is in the wrong big-time. Are you getting any help from your congressman?


72 posted on 03/27/2009 12:04:43 PM PDT by Tribune7 (Obama wants to put the same crowd that ran Fannie Mae in charge of health care)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: misterrob

She signed the contract - perhaps she should have read it first.

The options for reassignment post-commissioning are very different. They generally don’t pay full rides to people going into administrative positions - the reason they are willing to pay for school is to get people into certain designators.

And to your point about payback - officers and enlisted personnel in the nuclear program (as just one example) are in fact required to pay back bonuses if they lose their ability to perform the roles for which they were given the bonus. If they fail out or medical out of nuke school they are required to pay back their signing/commissioning bonuses .

Her desire is not the question - her ability to meet the terms of the contract is the issue. They have determined she can’t.

She can do just like any other civilian and get a student loan to cover her costs and work hard to pay it back.

Oh heck, you won me over - the Navy should just pay the tuition for every student in America who says they WANT to serve, but for some reason can’t...


73 posted on 03/27/2009 12:39:31 PM PDT by BlueNgold (... Feed the tree!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 69 | View Replies]

To: LadyNavyVet
So the fact that the Navy is taking such a hard line leads me to think that 1) there’s a WHOLE lot more to the story than we’ve been given, and; 2) somewhere along the line your wife ticked off the wrong person and/or gave someone in her chain of command or the medical chain of command reason to be angry with her. I’m not accusing anyone of anything, but I am saying that in my experience what the Navy is doing to your wife is unusual bordering on unheard of, and things like that aren’t done without reason.

I had an Army scholarship, and I echo your sentiments 100%. I knew guys who couldn't fulfil their obligations for medical reasons (usually injury, not illness), and they were simply released from their commitment for the good of the Army -- no harm, no foul. The Army typically doesn't use the "pay up or enlist" option unless the cadet has *really* screwed up.

74 posted on 03/27/2009 12:53:28 PM PDT by Terabitten (To all RINOs: You're expendable. Sarah isn't.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: BlueNgold
Part of the contract that she signed is that she would fulfill the obligations - when she was no longer able to perform should the Navy have just said well, thanks for two good years of once a month meetings for which we get no benefit of service?

In all fairness, ROTC is a bit more than once a month meetings.

75 posted on 03/27/2009 12:54:15 PM PDT by Terabitten (To all RINOs: You're expendable. Sarah isn't.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: Terabitten

In all fairness - it depends on the school and the program officers.

Would you feel better if I said once a week?


76 posted on 03/27/2009 12:56:00 PM PDT by BlueNgold (... Feed the tree!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: Enterprise
I would favor a ROTC contract which starts with a comprehensive physical exam requirement.

They already do. Like I said earlier, the military has the right to terminate the scholarship contract at any time, with or without cause -- and that's usually how they handle stuff like this.

77 posted on 03/27/2009 12:57:35 PM PDT by Terabitten (To all RINOs: You're expendable. Sarah isn't.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: BlueNgold
Would you feel better if I said once a week?

I'd feel better if you were a bit less condescending about the whole thing.

I spent 30-40 hours a week for three years outside my regular classload with ROTC duties. That didn't include the summer events -- Basic Camp, Advanced Camp, and Airborne school. I also had five hours of required classroom time every week - just like every other ROTC cadet in the country.

78 posted on 03/27/2009 1:04:39 PM PDT by Terabitten (To all RINOs: You're expendable. Sarah isn't.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]

To: rabscuttle385

What is the Navy supposed to say? “Because we read the comments on FreeRepublic, we have determined that we are in error and therefore will forgive the $100,000 owed.”

Sheesh.


79 posted on 03/27/2009 1:10:49 PM PDT by PurpleMan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Terabitten
just like every other ROTC cadet in the country

I'm not - repeat not - trying to pick a fight, but what you say is simply not true.

My jokes about ROTC programs are based in personal experience, and I realize that it is probably the minority, but it is not an insignificant minority.

I've sat and listened as politely as I could as groups of ROTC grads bragged about how easy their program was, about how meetings and classes often consisted of a simple sign-in, about how long they could grow their hair, etc. etc. etc.

I'm not saying every program is like that, but way too many are...

Give me back the time I've spent (wasted) teaching recently commissioned ROTC grads to wear their uniforms, how to enter a ship properly, how to give basic commands on the bridge, how to write a proper log entry, how to identify visual navigation aids, and on and on and on, and I will find a way to correct my attitude. (Yes, another jab, but one said with a smile...)

80 posted on 03/27/2009 1:15:21 PM PDT by BlueNgold (... Feed the tree!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-99 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson