GREAT LAKES, Ill.—Naval Service Training Command (NSTC) officially announced that Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Va., has been added as a new option for students aspiring to join the Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (NROTC) Program, as part of a crosstown agreement between Liberty University and the University of Virginia (UVA), in Charlottesville, Va., Aug. 18.
Students can enroll in the program beginning this school year.
The agreement allows a Midshipman to complete their degree requirements at Liberty, which until this agreement had no NROTC options, to participate in the program by travelling to UVA to complete required naval science classes, physical training, and leadership labs.
“NROTC is still growing 100 years after it was established,” said Rear Adm. Matt Pottenburgh, commander of NSTC. “Virginia is the state of patriots—producing presidents, generals, admirals, and more. This agreement is signed with that spirit of servant leadership in mind and gives young men and women the opportunity to attend the school that’s right for them while learning the skills necessary to lead our battle-ready Sailors and Marines. While the campuses may differ, the expectations and level of instruction are the same. When our Midshipmen graduate and commission as Navy Ensigns or Marine Corps 2nd Lieutenants, they will have been transformed by the Warrior Ethos which unites all who have ever worn the cloth of our nation—one of merit, unity, accountability, and high standards.”
Over the previous year, Christopher Newport University was added as a crosstown affiliate of Hampton University; and Washington and Lee University was added as a crosstown affiliate of the Virginia Military Institute.
NROTC has commissioned approximately 1,100 new Navy Ensigns and Marine Corps 2nd Lieutenants in Fiscal Year 2026.
2026 marks a century since the NROTC program was established. What started at six units with approximately 300 Naval Reserve students, has grown into one of our Nation’s proven Foundries of Navy and Marine Corps Officers at more than 170 colleges and universities across the country—forging leaders who are united in purpose, resilient in spirit, and committed to ensuring that our Navy and Marine Corps Combat Team remains trained to fight and ready to win.
NSTC, headquartered at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, transforms America’s sons and daughters into service professionals through Recruit Training Command—the Navy’s only bootcamp, Officer Training Command Newport, and NROTC.
To learn more about how NROTC develops the next generation of Navy and Marine Corps Officers, explore available scholarship opportunities, or see a complete list of available universities, please visit our website at: [https://www.netc.navy.mil/NSTC/NROTC/](https://www.netc.navy.mil/NSTC/NROTC/)