A: Yes. Videos were sent to all education offices in 1996. Our Marketing Division, like most Air Force units, is running on a tight budget and is severely limited in what they can supply. They send the latest Academy catalog and 100 “Academy is for Airmen” brochures to each base every year
Q: I have conflicting information on the current age
requirement for the Academy. What are they?
A: Applicants must be under 23 years of age on 1 Jul of the year that they enter the Academy and under 22 for the Preparatory School.
Q: Is there any LEAD information available on the Internet?
A:
Yes. The Academy’s website at
http://www.academyadmissions.com has information under Admissions Center,
How To Apply, Airmen.
Q: Are 50 slots at the Prep School and 85 at the Academy
set in stone?
A: No. We can increase the number of personnel that we take into the Prep School based on the number of qualified applicants. The 85 direct entry slots at the Academy are set in stone and are based on nominations allotted by law. However, this number can increase if highly qualified airmen use congressional, presidential, and vice presidential nominations.
Q: How critical are test scores and high school GPAs?
A: Very critical! Sixty percent of an applicant’s eligibility is based on their academic accomplishments. The LEAD program takes into account the maturity and experience that an airman brings to the Academy and Prep School, but a student can not survive at the Academy without the basic academic knowledge and skills required for success.
Q: How much does a person’s personnel file (EPRs,
training records, etc) affect their appointment?
A: The selection panel never sees an individual’s personnel file. We expect the individual’s commander to utilize this as a screening tool before signing the AF Form 1786.
Q: What is the percentage of personnel who complete the
Preparatory School who make it into the Academy?
A: Very High! In the upper 90%. Basically, we have invested a year of time and effort into a “preppie” and make every effort to make it pay-off for us. Unless there is some disciplinary or academic action involved, most who graduate from the Prep School and want to go to the Academy get an Academy appointment.
Q: What if a commander is unwilling to sign the AF Form
1786 on an airman?
A: That is their prerogative and the basis of the LEAD program. We assume that the commander knows who their good people are and will use that information to make an informed decision on who they nominate. It is one of our check-and-balances.
Q: Does an airman loose their Montgomery GI Bill (MGGIB)
benefits upon entering the Academy?
A: A memo dated 2 Feb 96 from HQ USAF/DPXF to HQ USAFA/CC clarifies that the VA considers graduates eligible for MGGIB benefits if they establish eligibility prior to attending a service academy. There are airmen who slip through the cracks without obtaining the full eligibility prior to entering the Academy, but they are the exception. The time spent at the Prep School counts towards eligibility.
Q: How do most airmen feel about an extra year at the
Preparatory School as opposed to entering the cadet wing directly?
A: We have heard mostly positive comments from airmen who go through the Prep School first. Most rave about an extra year to save money before taking a pay cut at the Academy. Others cite the support network they develop before entering the difficult Fourthclass (Freshman) year as the school’s strong point. In all cases, it is a great transitional school for airmen entering the Academy.
Q: What does an airman make in base pay at the Prep
School?
A: Airmen maintain their prior-enlisted pay while at the Prep School.
Once at the Academy, they convert to the cadet pay scale (around $800 per
month) of which they will receive $60 per month as a freshmen and $120 per
month as a sophomore, gradually increasing to full cadet pay in their senior
year. The amounts are after deductions for uniforms, books, a computer, and
other miscellaneous fees charged to the cadet’s account.
Q: Do I have to contact my Education
Services Office before I send in my AF Form 1786?
A: Yes! All applicants must be placed in AAC (05) at the time of application. Your Education Services Center does that for you. Take your completed application package to your Education Services Center when you request they change your assignment availability code to an 05.
| Send a Comment and/or Suggestion |
Page Updated on: 21 October 2009