Mansfield Student Earns $150,000 Scholarship

Brian Spillane, a resident of Mansfield, Ma., and recent graduate of Mansfield High School, was selected for a $150,000 scholarship from the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Scholarship Program, Marine Corps Option.

The scholarship was presented to Spillane by Capt. Thomas Abbott, the Executive Officer of Marine Corps Recruiting Station Springfield, Mass., on Thursday, June 6, at 8 a.m. at the school.

Spillane was one of five New England students who earned the scholarship during the Main Submission Board in February 2013. He boasts numerous accolades in both Varsity Football and Swimming for Mansfield High School, and the Vice President of the National Honors Society. 

Spillane also boasts a number of academic achievements and demonstrates great leadership skills. He maintained a 4.0 grade point average and coached a youth football team, among other philanthropic volunteer efforts. 

Spillane will attend the University of Colorado Boulder, this fall. Upon graduation and successful completion of the requirements, Spillane will be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps.

Each year, between November and January, the NROTC Scholarship Board accepts submissions from all over the nation. Students are judged on academic success, grade point averages, SAT/ACT scores, and overall physical condition. The board will also consider teacher evaluations and extracurricular activities when reviewing the submissions.

“This is a leadership opportunity for those students who desire to further their education and pursue service in the United States Marine Corps as a commissioned officer,” Abbott said. “The 2013 NROTC Board was extremely competitive this year, so it is important for applicants to be detailed and prepared. Past results have shown that the applicants who began planning early, in the summer before senior year, have been the most successful.”

Students who accept the NROTC scholarship will receive up to $150,000 as part of a full four-year tuition accepted at more than one hundred-sixty colleges and universities, ompensation for textbooks, fees and uniforms, a monthly subsistence allowance of up to $250, and an unparalleled level of experience.

To be eligible for the NROTC program, you must meet the following qualifications:

• Admission to an approved NROTC college or university
• Be a U.S. citizen
• 17 years old by September 1 of the year starting college and younger than 23 years of age on June 30 of that year, though exceptions may be considered
• High school diploma or an equivalency certificate (GED) by August 1 of the same year of expected entrance into the NROTC Scholarship Program
• Be physically qualified by Marine Corps Standards
• Have no criminal record
• Upstanding moral character
• Achieve qualifying scores on the SAT of 1000 minimum composite combined, or the ACT of 22 minimum composite