@jankuan
That is very interesting. Yet, I wonder how often that situation occurs – two equally qualified candidates, one with scholarship and the other without one, competing head to head for an appointment.
I suspect that most people who apply to USNA also apply for the NROTC scholarship. Seems like not applying for the scholarship would reflect a lack of firm commitment to a Naval career. They would have to be an otherwise stellar applicant, in my opinion.