The Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Flight Academy—which lets qualifying youth become certified as private pilots and start their collegiate studies for free—is returning in 2021 after a pandemic-induced hiatus, AFROTC announced Nov. 2.
AFJROTC high school cadets who will be at least 17 years old by July 9, 2021, and who have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, may apply for a spot by Nov. 25.
“Cadets must be in good standing in their unit, take an Air Force aviation aptitude test, provide instructor and school endorsements, and must have a strong interest in aviation and a ‘never-quit’ attitude,” the program’s web page adds.
While the program plans to seek out more partner schools, “pending continued resourcing,” the institutions that currently host the eight-week-long Academy include:
- California Baptist University
- Delaware State University
- Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (both the Florida and Arizona campuses)
- Florida Memorial University
- Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus
- Liberty University
- Purdue University
- Southeastern University
- University of North Dakota
- Utah Valley State
The service covers the cost of the Academy, including housing, food, tuition, books, fees, and transportation, and participants need only pay for incidentals, the program notes.
Cadets don’t incur a military commitment by taking part, the release notes. They’re just required to participate in an annual survey about flying for the next five years.
Since the FAA determined that most students who begin flight training stop after their first solo flight, the Academy aims to help participating students defeat this hurdle, the release said.