Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders for What Comes Next
Free College and Career Planning Resources for JROTC Programs
Together, College Options Foundation and Encourage give JROTC students in grades 8–12 the tools, confidence, and direction to plan their future whether that path leads to college, career, or continued service.
Encourage is a free college and career planning program designed to help all students, including JROTC cadets, explore their interests, discover colleges and scholarships that fit their goals, and make informed decisions about life after high school. Instructors also gain access to meaningful insights that demonstrate program impact and help them better support every cadet in their unit.
Are You a JROTC Cadet?
Your future starts here. Encourage is free for students. Create your account today to explore colleges, discover careers, and find scholarships matched to your goals.
Supporting Cadets and the Instructors Who Lead Them
Encourage meets JROTC programs where they are, supporting students on their path forward and giving instructors the data to show what their program makes possible.
STUDENTS
Encourage helps cadets explore careers aligned with their strengths and interests, discover colleges that match their goals, identify scholarships and financial aid opportunities, and set future-focused goals they can track over time.
INSTRUCTORS
Instructors gain access to data on how cadets are engaging with college and career planning benchmarked against state and national trends. They can better understand student interests to tailor support, track cadet progress, and measure program impact to advocate for resources.
COLLEGE OPTIONS FOUNDATION
College Options Foundation collects anonymous feedback through customized student and instructor surveys, providing insights that help demonstrate impact, advocate for resources, and refine programs to better serve military-connected students at every level.
550+
Instructors Use Our Program
38,500+
Student Participants
20
Years of Partnership
Student participation across the nation for the 2024-25 school year
Getting Started is as Easy as 1, 2, 3:
1
Request digital or physical preference forms customized with College Options Foundation-specific questions for you and your students.
2
After cadets complete their forms, they receive an invitation to the Encourage app to explore college and scholarship matches tailored to their goals.
3
Create your instructor account to access student and class-level insights and resources to help guide cadets toward future-ready decisions.
Reserve Your Forms
Join our program by requesting preference forms for your students.
