Is it still viable for a 26 year old prospective grad student to commission through ROTC?

Yes. Most definitely. Talk to the ROTC program at your school. They can get you all the details you need. Best of luck!

There's also a third option of a Direct Appointment! Talk to a recruiter and specifically ask them about Direct Commissioning! I have a friend that's my current age that enlisted when he was 42. He was already degreed and learned about it. He's currently a Captain in Military Intelligence. As a LTC I served on a Direct Commissioning board as well. Good luck in achieving all your goals!!

Your question interests !e on multiple levels...I realize tour interest in Army, that's apparent, howecer, purely out of curiosity, must it ne Army? Would you consider other services as well? I onoy ask as I'd seen mentioned on here, and also knew anecdotally that ROTC can be done as a grad student, I'd known of that, I'd been ArmynROTC at a unit tat no longer exists, then went USAF OTS instead. While I fathom your interest in a single service, I'd merely point out that you might think about submitting multiple packets, to all the services, at least those you'd positively want, just to maximize your chances, or also, look at OCS or OIS (indoc or direct commission type programs as well). Further, just purely FYI, I'm not saying you want this, however the USPHS Commissioned Corps does use health admin mgmt officers, if you might have an inclination toward anything in clinical finance aspects, I only !mention that as, when I'd gone in, I hadn't known of USPHS at all, or I'd have certainly tried to go that route, being of a clinical bent from the outset, though I never got to ne on the clinical side. Please understand, I realize, I gather, that you want one of the other more typical services, I just thought to mention that USPHS existed, just to give you another line of thought. Further, all the services use finance officers, esp. in acquisition or budgeting, and, I'd merely point out that finance, esp if you added a CPA (just another thought), is a natural lead in toward law, which would, were you to ne a JD-CPA, stand you in, I'd think, extremely good stead, to basically pretty much have your pick of pretty much anywhere you'd want to go, in any service, I'd ne most eager for your thoughts, I hope the suggestions might be of at least some use...had you given any thought to law at all? Also, there:s another type of law degree many JDs get, called an LLM, unusually, a masters, done after law school, I've never known much about it, though, I gather it's rather akinnto how MDs or DOs or other clinical fields frequently get an MPH, I've seen that quite frequently as well.