Scholarships

Unlock Your Future With Air Force ROTC Scholarships!

Are you dreaming of flying as an Air Force pilot, leading ground operations in Special Warfare or monitoring rockets during spacelift as a Space Operations Officer? Air Force ROTC scholarships are your gateway to these exciting careers and more. These scholarships do more than just fund your education — they provide opportunities for leadership, camaraderie and a lifelong commitment to excellence.

Opportunities Start Early

High school students can begin their journey with Air Force ROTC scholarships. High school seniors are encouraged to apply!

Pathways in College

Most AFROTC cadets start without a scholarship but have the chance to compete for one during college. As a freshman, if you excel and meet eligibility requirements, you’ll be automatically considered for the In College Scholarship Program (ICSP). If selected, your scholarship will begin in your sophomore year. The ICSP is highly competitive, but don’t worry if you don’t earn it right away.

Continued Opportunities

If you continue in the program during your sophomore year and successfully earn an enrollment allocation (EA), you’ll receive the Charles McGhee Leadership Award (CMLA), which provides $18,000 per year for your junior and senior years.

Other Scholarship Opportunities

Additionally, every year, many organizations provide grants and scholarships to cadets ranging in value from $100 to over $5,000.

Air Force Scholarship Aid

Learn more about what the Air Force offers for ROTC scholarships.

• High School Scholarships: Three- or four-year scholarships for high school graduates.
• In-College Scholarship Program (ICSP): This program is for cadets after they start college. In addition, this type of scholarship is available on a year-by-year basis from the Air Force ROTC HQ. Furthermore, this scholarship is very competitive, and the distribution of this type of scholarship is based on the following: grade point average (GPA), Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA), academic major and class ranking.
• General Charles McGee Leadership Award (CMLA): This in-college scholarship is awarded to all individuals not already on scholarship who receive an enrollment allocation and thus are selected to commission into the Air or Space Force. It pays $18,000 per year for two years and cannot be applied to graduate studies.
• Housing Benefit: Any scholarship awardee will be allowed to convert their award for a $10K-per-academic-year “housing scholarship” used for on-campus housing. This is for room only; board is not included, and the conversion must begin at the start of the fall academic term if exercised.

ERAU Scholarship Aid

If a student receives an Air Force ROTC national high school scholarship of any type (three- or four-year, full or partial tuition, etc.), the student is guaranteed a minimum of $8,500/year in university institutional aid. If the student was already awarded more than the $8,500 in university institutional aid (i.e. “Merit Scholarships), then they would receive the larger amount of the two, as long as it does not exceed the direct cost of attendance (tuition and fees, on-campus room and board).

For example, if a student receives a four-year, full-tuition scholarship from Air Force ROTC and has already received a $10,000/year Merit Scholarship from the university, then the student would receive the $10,000 Scholarship, not the $8,500 Minimum Assurance Scholarship (the $8,500 would not be added to the $10,000).

“Frontloading” Option for Three-Year ROTC Scholarship Winners

As a three-year ROTC scholarship winner, students have the option to “frontload” their ERAU scholarships/grants for the freshman year to help fill in the gap until their ROTC scholarship activates their sophomore year. If a student elects to exercise this option, they would receive up to $30,000 for Air Force ROTC for the freshman year only. For the following years, their ERAU scholarships will equal a total of $8,000 per year.

University funding includes any University scholarship, need-based grants and awards. University funding, in combination with funding from ROTC, cannot exceed the cost of education. This assurance is offered at the discretion of the University's Financial Aid Office, not AFROTC.

For more information on this grant, please contact the Embry‑Riddle Admissions Office at 800-888-3728.