A new agreement between Kansas University’s ROTC program and Johnson County Community College allows students to be enrolled in both schools while participating in ROTC classes.

Officials from both schools praised the program, which will benefit community college students by allowing them to stay enrolled in courses with lower tuition while entering the military officer training program at KU earlier.

“That’s probably the No. 1 benefit,” said Army Capt. Aaron Cornett of the KU ROTC program. “Some people don’t have the financial resources to come to KU right away.”

The JCCC program will extend to U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force ROTC programs at KU. Dennis Day, JCCC vice president for student services, said that students would no longer have to wait two years before beginning the ROTC program.

“It’s a win for everybody,” he said.

The Army ROTC program at KU already has similar agreements with several other institutions, including Kansas City Kansas Community College, Washburn University, Mid-America Nazarene University, Haskell Indian Nations University and the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Cornett said.

He estimated that about 20 percent of the about 120 Army ROTC cadets at KU attend one of the affiliate schools.

The Air Force’s ROTC program has about 75 students, including about five who are enrolled at another school.