Student cadets across the country participating in the Army's Reserve Officers' Training Corps — ROTC — are no longer receiving monthly stipends due to the federal government shutdown, USA Today reports.
Depending on a student's year in school, monthly stipends can range from $250 to $500, according to USA Today. These funds often go towards tuition, rent, and other college-related needs.
While there has been no official military statement about whether this suspension affects all ROTC cadets, several schools — including American University and Minnesota State University — confirmed that students will not be receiving a stipend this month.
Many students took to Twitter to voice their understandable unhappiness with the suspensions:
The shutdown took away our stipend, drill pay and tuition assistance for October. Basically doing ROTC for free :(
— Brittany (@That_GirlBrit) October 10, 2013
not getting my ROTC stipend this month. thanks obama
— Grant (@gmoyer85) October 10, 2013
ROTC scholarship money suspended until further notice. Thats no good.
— Brandon Crossett (@BCrossett) October 7, 2013
No ROTC stipend or drill pay this month. Coooooool.
— Arianna B. (@_amxbailey) October 8, 2013