Military ROTC Center | Military.com

Joining the Air Force ROTC

Getting Started
You can benefit from an Air Force ROTC scholarship at many different stages in your educational career – but the how, when and where is really up to you. The information below can help you figure it out.

Big, small, public, private, liberal arts, Ivy League, minority and religious institutions: Air Force ROTC has units at over 1,000 schools to match your desired college experience. There are two types of ROTC experiences depending on your school of choice:

144 Host Institutions where a detachment is physically located and conducting classes.
Over 1000 cross-town schools, which are affiliated with detachments at nearby host universities. If you choose to enroll at one of our cross-town schools, you will attend your ROTC classes at the nearby host university. This helps you keep your options wide open, so you can choose the college that’s right for you.

Example: if you attend or plan on attending Princeton University (located in Princeton, NJ), you would take Air Force ROTC classes at Rutgers University (located in New Brunswick, NJ).

Cross-town schools can change, so it’s best to double-check with the host detachment of the cross-town school you’d like to attend before admission.

Ready to find the right school for your ROTC experience?
Locate a detachment

Applying to the Air Force ROTC

First thing you need to do is apply for the right kind of scholarship. The type of scholarship depends on your current academic level.

High School Applicants
A cost-free college education. Four years of rewarding challenges and personal growth. A head start on an exciting career. All this and more awaits those awarded a scholarship from Air Force ROTC. Your future could begin right here, right now. Apply today.

The Air Force ROTC online application is fast and easy. You can apply for an Air Force ROTC scholarship right away. By filling out this application you're not obligated for military service in any way.

The application deadline is December 1, 2005. Click here to apply

Please have these items ready to fill out the application:

Social Security Number
SAT and/or ACT Scores
High School GPA
Information on officer training programs (if applicable)
Information on any arrests you may have had (if applicable)
Password choice – you will have the ability to save your application and complete it at a later date. Be sure to remember your password.

Note: This application is only for High School students or graduates who are not currently full-time college students or are planning to be a full-time college student during the 2006-2007 school year.

This application is not for use by active-duty members of the military.

College Student Applicants

The In-College Scholarship Program (ICSP) is open to college freshmen and sophomores in any major. The program is divided into two selection phases and awards Type 2 (tuition capped at $15,000 per year), Type 3 (tuition capped at $9,000 per year) or Type 6 (tuition capped at $3,000 per year) scholarships for 2 or 3 years.

To be eligible to apply for the ICSP you must:

Be a United States citizen by the end of the projected term of activation
Pass the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT)
Meet Air Force ROTC weight and body fat standards
Pass the Air Force ROTC Physical Fitness Test
Have at least a 2.5 cumulative college grade point average
Pass a physical examination and be certified as commission-qualified by the Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board
Not already be a contracted scholarship recipient
Meet the age, moral and other scholarship eligibility requirements for Air Force ROTC

General Application Requirements

If you are a sharp, energetic, well-rounded person with the drive and tenacity to make your own way in life, then Air Force ROTC is for you, but you've got to be willing to give it everything you’ve got.

Air Force ROTC is just like any other college course – it has its own admissions requirements. And since we offer a wealth of real-world leadership experiences and the opportunity to earn a commission as an Air Force officer, you'll need to meet some additional requirements as you progress from the General Military Course to the Professional Officer Course. Scholarship applicants and recipients must also meet requirements specific to the scholarship that they are applying for.

The General Military Course (GMC) is offered to freshmen and sophomore students who meet the following minimum membership requirements:

Enrolled in an accredited college that hosts or has a cross-town agreement with an Air Force ROTC detachment
United States citizen (if on scholarship)
In good physical condition
Of good moral character
Age 14 years or older – 17 years old to receive a scholarship
Attend both the Aerospace Studies class and Leadership Lab each semester

The following credentials may preclude you from Air Force ROTC membership, but will not keep you from enrolling in an Aerospace Studies class:

Conscientious objectors – one who has or had a firm, fixed and sincere objection to participation in war, in any form, or to the bearing of arms because of religious training or belief, which includes solely moral or ethical beliefs
Present or former commissioned officers of the Armed Forces
Officers of the Health Services and Mental Health Administration and members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Those medically diagnosed with asthma or who have been prescribed Ritalin or any other medication for ADD and/or ADHD at any point in their life may be precluded from military service, but they may be waived depending on diagnosis and treatment
Individuals on active duty with any military service – enlisted/warrant officers of Reserve or National Guard unless conditionally released
Nonimmigrant students from nations not approved by the Department of State
Students who do not or cannot meet required standards of weight, appearance, decorum, discipline and military performance
Individuals who have dropped out of a previous officer training program (e.g., Officer Training School, United States Air Force Academy, etc.) but this may be waived depending on individual circumstances.

The Professional Officer Course (POC) is offered to juniors and seniors who have already committed to a four-year post-graduation service commitment with the Air Force.

You must meet all the GMC membership requirements and:
Be a United States citizen
Be of legal age as required by the state in which you will be attending ROTC – or 17 years old with a parent or guardian's consent
Be in good academic standing
4- and 2-Year Program: have two academic years remaining in a degree program (undergraduate, graduate, or combination of both)
Participate in both Aerospace Studies classes and Leadership Laboratory each semester
Meet the age requirements:

Rated (pilot or navigator) – commissioned before reaching the age of 29
Scholarship applicants – be less than 31 years old as of December 31 of the year you will commission
Tech, non-tech and non-rated – commissioned by age 30 (waiverable up to age 35)

Be physically qualified:

Meet Air Force Height and Weight Standards
Pass the Air Force Physical Fitness Test (PFT)

Have a military certified/qualified physical
Pass the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT)
Be selected by a board of Air Force officers
Complete a Field-Training course

4-Year Program: 4-week Field-Training Unit
2-Year Program: 4-week Field-Training Unit with AS100 and AS200 classes provided in a 2-week period immediately preceding Field Training

If you are single with a dependent or married to a military member with dependent, a dependent care plan must be completed. A dependent is defined as anyone incapable of self-care: e.g., child, parent, etc.

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