Air Force · high school scholarship
Air Force ROTC scholarship deadline
High school cadets who want an Air Force ROTC scholarship, and parents helping them, should use the window on the official high school application page. MeritLink read that page on October 4, 2026.
This is a different application from Army ROTC and from Navy or Marine NROTC. It is also different from a United States Air Force Academy appointment.
The published window
The Air Force ROTC high school scholarship application page says the window is open for students who plan to enter Air Force ROTC in the 2027–2028 academic year.
Window opens
Window closes
Those two dates are the deadline pair this site repeats. Check the official page for any update before you apply.
What that page also says
- Junior year of high school must be finished before you apply.
- Read the application guide on the Air Force ROTC site to confirm eligibility.
- Accepting a scholarship and continuing past freshman year brings a service obligation in the U.S. Air Force or Space Force.
This guide does not add GPA cutoffs, test-score minimums, or document lists. Those belong on the Air Force application guide. Open that guide from the official application page and follow it.
Scholarship types on the Air Force page
The Air Force ROTC high school scholarship types page describes the award this way: Type 1 pays full tuition and authorized fees. Type 2 pays up to $18,000 per year toward tuition and fees. Book stipend is $900 per academic year. Monthly stipend is $300 (freshman), $350 (sophomore), $450 (junior), and $500 (senior). Does not cover room and board.
Type names and amounts can change. Read them on the types page before you rely on a figure.
Air Force ROTC high school scholarship types (opens in a new tab)
In-college scholarships use a different path
The high school window above is for students entering in the 2027–2028 academic year. The Air Force ROTC in-college scholarship is for freshmen and sophomores at a school with a host or crosstown Air Force ROTC program. That page says there is no separate national application form and that detachment staff nominate cadets. A scholarship award can lead to a commission in the Air Force or Space Force.
This site does not list a calendar deadline for the in-college scholarship. Confirm any date on the official in-college page.
How to apply
- Finish junior year of high school. The application page says that year must be finished before you apply.
- Open the Air Force ROTC high school application (opens in a new tab) and confirm the window is still July 1, 2026 through December 11, 2026.
- Read the application guide linked from that page and confirm eligibility there before you submit.
- Submit on the Air Force ROTC site during the published window. MeritLink cannot see or send that application.
- If you are already in college, use the in-college page. It says detachment staff nominate cadets. This site does not list a deadline for that path. Confirm the process and any date on the official page.
Common questions
What is the Air Force ROTC scholarship deadline?
The Air Force ROTC high school scholarship application page says the window is open July 1, 2026 through December 11, 2026 for students who plan to enter Air Force ROTC in the 2027–2028 academic year.
Who can start an Air Force ROTC high school scholarship application?
The Air Force ROTC high school application page says junior year of high school must be finished before you apply, and it tells applicants to read the application guide to confirm eligibility.
Is the in-college Air Force ROTC scholarship on the same deadline?
No deadline for the in-college scholarship is published on this site. The Air Force ROTC in-college page says there is no separate national application form and that detachment staff nominate cadets. Confirm any date on that page.
Does MeritLink submit the Air Force ROTC application?
No. Apply on the official Air Force ROTC high school application page. MeritLink links that page and repeats only the window it states.