FAQs

No. If you received a 4-year HSSP scholarship from high school, then the first year of college is paid for and you can quit at the end of your freshman year with no obligation. If you received a 3-year scholarship from high school or college then you are not committed to the Air Force until you accept your scholarship (usually in the fall of your sophomore year). If you didn’t get any scholarship, then you are not committed to joining the Air Force or Space Force until you start your junior year of college.
With Air Force ROTC, we provide you with lots of opportunities to see what the Air Force is about before signing up. And while you’re waiting, you are getting college out of the way and having a lot of fun.

The mission of the high school Junior ROTC program is to build better citizens for America. The mission of the college ROTC program is to produce leaders for the Air Force and Space Force. If you are interested in starting an Air Force Junior ROTC program at your high school, visit https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Holm-Center/AFJROTC/.

No. In fact, the majority of students enrolled in college ROTC have never been involved in the Junior ROTC program.

No. Any student (graduate or undergraduate) with at least three years remaining should be eligible for our program. So, if you’re a second-semester freshman, a sophomore, or have at least three years remaining in your graduate studies, you can apply to join. Graduate students require a waiver. Contact your local detachment for more information.

Yes. You can enroll in Aerospace Studies 111/112 and Aerospace Studies 223/224. You will be considered an AS250 (enrolled in both Freshman and Sophomore classes).

Yes, you can. Many of our students do not start with a scholarship, but earn one eventually.

Yes. Depending on how many years you have left in college, you may qualify for a two- or three-year scholarship. For more details on scholarship opportunities, please visit our Scholarships section.

None at all. In fact, we encourage you to take a curriculum you are interested in and in which you have the capability to do well. Our main academic concern is that you maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) above 2.5 and attain your degree in the time period planned. The GPA and major requirements are different if you are applying for a scholarship and while receiving scholarship benefits. Check our Scholarships section for those specific requirements.

The Air Force is education-oriented and financially supports graduate studies. You can apply for the Air Force Institute of Technology to earn an advanced degree on full scholarship. Additionally, most bases have graduate college programs, and you may apply for the tuition assistance program that pays 100 percent of the tuition cost.

The test is offered multiple times during the fall and spring semesters and can be taken a maximum of two times with at least 6 months between tests. A third attempt requires a waiver and will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

Maybe. The Professor of Aerospace Studies may waive some or all of the GMC credits if you are prior enlisted. This is determined by your time in service and experience you had while enlisted. You may want to attend the sophomore Air Force ROTC classes and/or the preparation sessions for Field Training with the sophomores to see what Field Training is all about.

There is no service commitment for students who take our classes with no intention of becoming an Air Force or Space Force officer. For these types of students, you would attend the Aerospace Studies classes, just like any other college class. If you are interested in becoming an officer, there is NO service commitment during the first two years of the Air Force ROTC program (the General Military Course) unless you have an Air Force ROTC scholarship. If you decide to stay and join the Professional Officer Course (POC; the last two years of the program), you’ll sign a contract with the Air Force and then incur a service obligation. For Air Force ROTC scholarship students, you’re obligated once you’ve activated the scholarship and have entered your sophomore year.

-Other commissioning opportunities exist through the United States Air Force Academy. Click here for the Air Force Academy’s site.
-Commissioning opportunities for college graduates also exist through Officer Training School (OTS), an intense 12-week program at Maxwell Air Force Base.
-Commissioned Officer Training is a 4-week program designed for professionals who have received a direct commissioned appointment as a lawyer, chaplain or into a corps of the medical service.
-Reserve Commissioned Officer Training is a 13-day intensive program designed for hard-to-recruit Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard medical service officers.

Yes. There are several programs available. Some involve scholarship opportunities, while others are at your own expense. Remember, the first step in any Airman-to-officer program is a stop at your base Education Office. Each of these programs have deadlines and age limitations, so check early. For more program details, please visit our Scholarships section.

Yes you do. Three years of Junior ROTC (JROTC) are considered equal to three semesters of the General Military Course (GMC), and two years are equal to one year of the GMC. No credit is given for less than two years of JROTC training.

First, try your Air Force ROTC detachment instructor. While the instructor may not have a psychology degree, he or she does have experience in counseling and can direct you to the proper resources. Air Force ROTC instructors try to develop a strong professional rapport with each cadet. Each university also offers various resource offices for their students and many services are free as part of your student fees.

Yes, for the following reasons:
It gives you more time to participate in Air Force ROTC without obligation, to gain experience and to decide whether you want to apply for the advanced program, the POC.
You will have the opportunity to apply for scholarships if eligible.
You can retake the Air Force Officer Qualification (AFOQT) test to improve your scores.

The detachment commander can give credit for part of the GMC to cadets who receive the Spaatz, Earhart, and Mitchell Awards during any academic term of the GMC.

Most officers have a four-year commitment. For pilots, it’s ten years after pilot training, and six years for navigators after training. Air Battle Managers have a six-year commitment. See the Service Commitment section.

You will compete in a selection process much like the one of an enrollment allocation as an officer candidate for the POC. The factors to be used will include your Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) scores, your field training performance rating, your Grade Point Average (GPA), your academic major, your Physical Fitness Test (PFT) score, and the Detachment Commander’s ranking. You will know your specific Air Force job category approximately six months before you commission.

No. The vast majority of Air Force jobs do not involve flying at all. In the civilian world there are thousands of jobs and careers – doctors, lawyers, law enforcement, engineers, financial careers, food-service management – the list is endless. For almost every civilian out in the work force, there is an Air Force officer counterpart performing a similar job. For more information about the many careers available, check out our Careers section.

Cadets normally get commissioned in a special ceremony the same day they graduate, or within 1-2 days of their graduation date. You can expect to enter active duty about 30 days after graduation, and up to 365 days post graduation. Each career may have different EAD dates.

Not necessarily. You may request an educational delay if you desire to attend graduate school at your own expense before going on active duty. If approved, the Air Force will postpone your active-duty tour. Delays are routinely provided if you select to attend dental or medical school. Scholarships also exist for students accepted to medical school.

Yes. The Air Force offers several opportunities to do so. In many cases you can request an educational delay. This delay between the time of commissioning and reporting for active duty will be of sufficient length to allow you to fulfill the requirements for a professional or master’s degree. You will assume all financial obligations. There are also Air Force Institute of Technology programs where the Air Force pays for your graduate school education. These programs are explained in detail in Air Force ROTC.

It depends. Check out the Flying Requirements for more information.

No. Your academic major plays a minor role in pilot and navigator selection. You can major in any degree program and compete to receive a pilot or navigator slot in Air Force ROTC. You can even be on an Air Force ROTC scholarship in an engineering or science major and compete on an equal basis for a flying position.

To compete for the pilot or navigator categories, you must be able to complete your bachelor’s degree and be commissioned through Air Force ROTC before you are 29 years old.

No. In fact, many companies prefer to hire former officers over new college graduates (even those with master’s degrees). Your Air Force experience, the management skills you’ve gained on active duty and your active-duty educational benefits can give you the competitive edge you need.

The Academy, ROTC and Officer Training School all produce qualified Air Force officers. The Air Force achieves better diversity and talent by getting officers from more than one commissioning source. Once on active duty, the most important factor in promotion is job performance.