Can I join AFROTC if I’m not on a scholarship? Absolutely! AFROTC offers three and four year options for participation in the program. Freshman can enter Air Force ROTC as AS100s and will enroll in an Aerospace Studies course, Leadership Laboratory, and participate in two PT sessions weekly. To commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Air or Space Force, the ROTC program requires a minimum of three-years participation. How do I get a scholarship? There are several pathways to obtain a scholarship from the Department of the Air Force, and each option covers tuition, a monthly stipend, and a semester-based book allowance. The first opportunity to apply for a scholarship is if you apply as a senior in high school at afrotc.com. You’ll be scheduled for an interview with a local detachment and will compete for a national scholarship. As a college student, you are eligible for a scholarship after one full semester of participation in the AFROTC program. For example, if you enter your freshman fall semester and based on academic and cadet performance, may be considered for the In-College Scholarship program. It also covered the cost of tuition, a monthly stipend, and a semester textbook allowance. The final opportunity occurs after the POC selection process. Upon successful completion of Field Training – the summer leadership development and evaluation experience for nationwide AFROTC cadets – you will become automatically eligible for the Charles McGee Leadership Award, which is a two-year scholarship that covers tuition, provides a monthly stipend, and a semester textbook allowance. In each of these situations, you must maintain a minimum of 2.5GPA to activate, and maintain the scholarship. How many hours per week do I have to participate? At a minimum, students must participate in Leadership Laboratory (2-hrs), Aerospace Studies (50 mins for GMC, 2:30 hrs for POC), and Physical Training (2-hours). What are common medical conditions that would disqualify me from enrollment in the ROTC program? Department of Defense Instruction 6130.03V1, here, is the guide that dictates conditions that may disqualify individuals from military service. All candidate records will be reviewed by the Department of Defense Medical Evaluation Review Board (DoDMERB) for eligibility, and if a condition exists, DoDMERB may provide eligibility for a waiver is certain circumstances. Are there any legal circumstances that would prevent me from being eligible for participation in AFROTC? Applicants and cadets are required to report all involvements with civil, military or school authorities, regardless of the severity, disposition, or the date of the involvement. Offenses are categorized IAW DAFMAN 36-2032, “AF Offense Category.” Applicants and cadets must be informed that they should be aware that underage involvements, sealed or expunged records may still be found during a federal background check. AFROTC cannot mandate applicants disclose sealed or expunged records; the applicants and cadets may consider disclosing this information upfront if they so choose. If applicants or cadets fail to advise the detachment of sealed or expunged records this shall not be viewed as an omission or integrity violation. Do I have to join AFROTC as a freshman? No, however, joining as a freshman increases your scholarship opportunities. At a minimum, interested students should sign up by the first term of their sophomore year to give themselves the best chance at being successful in the program. What if I’m not an undergraduate student. Can I still participate in AFROTC? Yes! The minimum time required for participation in AFROTC is full-time enrollment as a student, and three years in the program. Note: The Charles McGee Leadership Award will NOT cover the cost associated with obtaining a master’s degree. Should I get a particular degree to be more competitive? No. Students will be eligible for contract/scholarship based on a number of requirements, not specific to a technical, or non-technical degree. The only situation where a specific degree applies are for careers in nursing and civil engineering. Note: A scholarship will be terminated when a student changes their degree from a technical to a non-technical degree (ex: changing degree from Mechanical Engineering to Psychology). Students may reapply for ICSP/CMLA. Do I have to be a pilot? No! There are many careers in the Air and Space Force! Explore our “related links” page to explore any of the 34 careers for Air and Space Force officers. How do I become a pilot? Easy – You must pass a flight physical, your Physical Fitness Assessment, earn certain scores on the Air Force Officer Qualification Test, and the Test of Basic Aviation Skills (TBAS). Do I have to cut my hair? Possibly. Your dress and appearance must always be in compliance with AFMAN 36-2903. Do I have to wear a uniform to class every day? No! You are only required to wear your uniform as specified by the detachment commander. This could be once, or twice per week. How much time must I serve after I commission? The term for post commissioning service is Active Duty Service Commitment (ADSC). The >minimum ADSC is four years, whereas pilots will have a ten-year service commitment. Other career fields (Combat Systems Officer, Air Battle Manager, RPA) will owe six years. Those selected for specialty programs such as M.D., PhD and PA will defer commissioning and incur ADSCs based on program length.
