High School Scholarship Requirements

U.S. Citizenship

Applicants must either be a United States citizen or obtain U.S. citizenship by the last day of the first term of their freshman year.

Medical

Applicants must pass a Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board (DoDMERB) medical exam. Applicants will either be scheduled to take the physical exam at the nearest military base or be sent to a designated civilian contractor.

Academics

  1. SAT composite of 1240 or ACT composite of 26. Super scores are not accepted.
  2. Cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Fitness

  1. Complete the Physical Fitness Assessment, which consists of three events: push-ups, crunches and a 1.5-mile run.
  2. If offered a scholarship, you must pass the Physical Fitness Test before the end of your first semester of college.

Service Obligation

You’re under no obligation by simply applying for an Air Force ROTC scholarship. However, if you are awarded a scholarship, you become obligated when you accept and sign an agreement with the United States Air Force or Space Force.

If you are under legal age in the state where the school is located, your parent or legal guardian must sign this agreement.

You will agree to:

  1. Enroll in the academic major for which the scholarship is offered.
  2. Enroll in Air Force ROTC beginning with the upcoming fall term.
  3. Complete a 13-day summer field training course at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, between sophomore and junior years.
  4. Complete Air Force ROTC General Military Course (GMC) your freshman and sophomore years and the Professional Officer Course (POC) your junior and senior years.
  5. Accept a commission as an Air Force or Space Force officer and serve at least four years on active duty.

Civil Involvements and Drug Use Disclosure

Air Force ROTC policy is to withdraw the scholarship offer made to High School Scholarship Program (HSSP) winners who fail to disclose all civil involvements and drug or alcohol abuse that occurred prior to the HSSP interview. These scholarships are considered to be obtained under fraudulent circumstances since the student failed to obtain the required waiver. Air Force ROTC policy is to withdraw scholarship offers to students who use illegal drugs after being briefed on the Air Force drug and alcohol policy during their interview.

Gap Years

High school seniors planning to take one or more gap years following high school graduation are not eligible to compete for a scholarship until the selection cycle immediately preceding the academic year in which they plan to join AFROTC and enroll as a full-time student at an AFROTC-affiliated college or university. To maintain eligibility for the High School Scholarship Program during gap years, prospective applicants must not be enrolled as a full-time student at any college or university during the gap years.

Financial Responsibility

When selecting a college or university, applicants and families are encouraged to consider their own ability to pay tuition. Although the applicant may have received a scholarship offer, there may be a delay in activation due to various reasons. If there is a delay in activation that extends beyond the start date of the first term of a scholarship offer, the designee is responsible for that term’s tuition. Depending on the reason for the delay, the offer may be withdrawn. Once a scholarship has been activated, a student’s scholarship benefits may be suspended or terminated if the student fails to maintain academic or military retention standards.

Learn About The Scholarship Application Process

Application Process