Apply to Project GO

ALL APPLICANTS

In order to be eligible, at the time of application, an applicant must be:

1. A U.S. citizen.
2. An undergraduate or graduate student on track to commission through the Army, Naval, or Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), contracted or non-contracted, at a regionally accredited college or university in the United States.

OVERSEAS PARTICIPANTS

In order to be eligible to participate in a Project GO overseas program, for the duration of the program successful applicants must:

1. Remain in ROTC for the duration of the program.
2. Be in an inactive, non-drilling status.
3. Not be employed by the U.S. federal government or any foreign government.
4. Not be an Army Green to Gold member.
5. Not be a recent graduate awaiting active duty.

NOT ELIGIBLE FOR PROJECT GO

1. Non-U.S. citizens
2. Active duty military members (not participating in ROTC)
3. Navy Seaman to Admiral Program members
4. Officer Candidate School participants
5. JROTC students
6. Service academy students
7. Federal government employees
8. Commissioned Officers

Department of Defense Instruction (DoD) 1025.02, “National Security Education Program (NSEP) and NSEP Service Agreement" states that, "All NSEP award recipients who are government employees or members of the uniformed services at the time of award must confirm that they have resigned from such employment or service before receiving support for their NSEP-funded overseas study. These stipulations apply to all individuals, including employees of a department, agency, or entity of the U.S. Government and members of the uniformed services, including members of a Reserve Component of the uniformed services. Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) participants who are also members of a Reserve Component must be in an inactive, non-drilling status during the course of their NSEP-funded overseas study.

I am not a UMD student. Can I still apply?

Yes! We encourage ROTC students from all across the country to apply to our programs.

I have no previous Arabic or Persian experience. Can I still participate in Project GO?

Yes! Project GO is designed even for True Beginners, meaning people who have never studied the language before. 

I am a drilling member of the National Guard or Reserve. Am I eligible?

No, you must be in non-drilling status

I am a newly commissioned officer awaiting active duty. Am I eligible?

No

I am Army Green to Gold. Am I eligible?

No

Why should I do Project GO?

Project GO is a wonderful opportunity to gain critical language and culture skills as well as time abroad in an ROTC program. The skills and perspective achieved through our programs can help you qualify for language proficiency bonus pay as well as open pathways to new career opportunities that require language and area studies.

I have never studied a language before. Can I still participate in Project GO?

Yes!

I have never studied or been abroad before. Will this hurt my chances of success in Project GO?

No! We highly encourage those who have never been abroad before to apply. Project GO was specifically designed to give students who may not have studied abroad before the chance to be exposed to foreign cultures and different ways of life.

What if I don’t meet the eligibility requirements?

Other eligibility requirements may apply and individual circumstances may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

How much do I have to pay to participate in Project GO?

Project GO scholarships provide full funding to students, including tuition, room and board, textbooks, visas, insurance, and travel expenses to and from the destination. If you have any other questions about out of pocket costs, please contact the program coordinator.

Would participation in Project GO extend my service commitment?

No, using a Project GO scholarship on a summer language program does not require any additional service commitments and will not negatively affect your ROTC scholarship.

What kind of medical information do I need to know before going abroad? Do I need vaccines?

As Morocco is a developing country, it is important to be up-to-date on regular vaccines. For more information regarding the CDC’s recommendations, please visit this website: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/morocco

Project GO is pleased to offer fully funded scholarship opportunities to students accepted into UMD's Project GO Arabic & Persian Programs. There is no additional application for scholarship funds, and all accepted and confirmed students will receive sufficient funding to cover the full program.  Program participation does not add an additional service requirement and Project GO funds do not adversely affect a student's ROTC scholarship in any way. 

Scholarships cover:

• Tuition / Fees
• Travel / Insurance
• Room and Board
• Textbooks
• Orientation

Scholarships do not cover:

• Cost of passport (needed for Arabic Abroad Program)
• Personal items and medications
• Personal travel

In order to complete your application, you will need to:

• Review all program details, application instructions and eligibility requirements on the ROTC Project GO central website
• Complete your online application and include your personal biographical information
• Submit the essays required for your program (note: there is a 500 word limit, and we recommend writing between 350-500 words per essay)
• Confirm that two letters of recommendation have been submitted on your behalf (one letter must be from a university academic reference, and the other must be from your commanding officer). Please note, it is your responsibility to ensure that your letters of recommendation are submitted on time!

The Application for Project GO Summer 2025 will be available on October 15th!

APPLY HERE

If you have any questions about the application process, please find more information here or contact us at umdgo@umd.edu.