<p>Scholarships should be payable directly to the cadet. When the agency is unable to make payment directly to the cadet, the scholarship may be accepted by USAFA/FM for credit to the cadets pay account provided there are no restrictions on the scholarship and the check is payable to the U.S. Treasury. Scholarships silent on restrictions will be treated as non-restrictive and accepted. Scholarships accepted by USAFA/FM are never refunded to the agency granting the scholarship, even if the cadet disenrolls. Checks shall be made payable to US Treasury and mailed to HQ USAFA/FMF, 2304 Cadet Drive, Suite 2200, USAF Academy, CO 80840-5035. Checks will not be accepted until after 19 August 2011 for the Class of 2015. The cadets full name and social security number must be included in the memo area of the check or on an attached memo.</p>
<p>I thought attending the Academy, any of them for the services, was free. You just have to give your life over to them for a while. I thought that is what it is all about. Why do the students need scholarships? They receive a pretty good stipend every month to help handle personal expenses. Aren’t our tax dollars already paying their way? I would be ****ed if my student lost a scholarship to a student who was already going to school for free and didn’t need the money to help pay the bill. To me, scholarship dollars need to go to students whose families have to pay for the students to attend a regular college/university where they get to finally have a sense of adult freedoms and decide for themselves what to learn, when to call home, how to wear their hair, what clothes to wear, and when and where to eat, etc. I still don’t get why a student, just on the verge of leaving childhood with all it’s rules and regulations for a more mature existence where one gets to make some decisions on their own, would choose to then be treated more like a prisoner - Not able to call home when they want to, not able to travel off the grounds of the academy for many months, not able to own and drive a car if they so desire until the last two years - I just don’t get it. They don’t get freedom, but can lose their life for this country? How is that logical? Especially when you can go to college, do ROTC, and then attend officer candidate school if that is your ultimate goal…</p>
<p><<i still=“” don’t=“” get=“” why=“” a=“” student,=“” just=“” on=“” the=“” verge=“” of=“” leaving=“” childhood=“” with=“” all=“” it’s=“” rules=“” and=“” regulations=“” for=“” more=“” mature=“” existence=“” where=“” one=“” gets=“” to=“” make=“” some=“” decisions=“” their=“” own,=“” would=“” choose=“” then=“” be=“” treated=“” like=“” prisoner=“” -=“” not=“” able=“” call=“” home=“” when=“” they=“” want=“” to,=“” travel=“” off=“” grounds=“” academy=“” many=“” months,=“” own=“” drive=“” car=“” if=“” so=“” desire=“” until=“” last=“” two=“” years=“” i=“” it.=“”>></i></p><i still=“” don’t=“” get=“” why=“” a=“” student,=“” just=“” on=“” the=“” verge=“” of=“” leaving=“” childhood=“” with=“” all=“” it’s=“” rules=“” and=“” regulations=“” for=“” more=“” mature=“” existence=“” where=“” one=“” gets=“” to=“” make=“” some=“” decisions=“” their=“” own,=“” would=“” choose=“” then=“” be=“” treated=“” like=“” prisoner=“” -=“” not=“” able=“” call=“” home=“” when=“” they=“” want=“” to,=“” travel=“” off=“” grounds=“” academy=“” many=“” months,=“” own=“” drive=“” car=“” if=“” so=“” desire=“” until=“” last=“” two=“” years=“” i=“” it.=“”>
<p>They’re not being imprisoned, they’re being disciplined. For a military to be functional and successful, discipline is essential. </p>
<p><<they don’t=“” get=“” freedom,=“” but=“” can=“” lose=“” their=“” life=“” for=“” this=“” country?=“” how=“” is=“” that=“” logical?=“”>></they></p>
<p>The men and women of US service academies are being trained to defend their country. Maybe you find it “imprisoning” but anyone who joins one of the academies and truly wants to serve does not. They are willing to become the best soldier they can be for our country, and that means serving a bigger purpose. So they can’t own and drive a car for two years. That isn’t exactly their biggest concern.</p>
<p><<to me,=“” scholarship=“” dollars=“” need=“” to=“” go=“” students=“” whose=“” families=“” have=“” pay=“” for=“” the=“” attend=“” a=“” regular=“” college=“” university=“” where=“” they=“” get=“” finally=“” sense=“” of=“” adult=“” freedoms=“” and=“” decide=“” themselves=“” what=“” learn=“”>></to></p>
<p>…so what you’re saying is, people who attend US service academies don’t have adult responsibilities/freedoms and decide what they want to do? Anyone who attends a US service academy is making the choice to serve their country with all they’ve got. They’re choosing to lay risk their lives for your freedoms. They’re choosing to give up the normal college experience to train for your protection. (By the way, you do realize that the military requires people from all fields/areas of knowledge, right? You need computer scientists, you need psychologists, you need linguists, you need geographers, you need political scientists, you need military scientists… so yes, people who want to do military service do get to choose what they want to learn.)</p>
<p>Choosing to risk your life for a bigger purpose than yourself is an extremely heavy decision to make, one that requires a certain level of maturity and selflessness. I can’t help but feel irritated by your implications that people who enlist in US service academies are people just looking for a free college experience and no adult responsibilities/freedoms. That is not at all what it is about… Choosing to give up your life, if that’s what it takes, for the good of your people? Choosing to give up many freedoms that civilians take for granted to dedicate your life to those who clearly don’t appreciate them that much? That’s a pretty adult decision right there, or at least more of one that choosing how to wear your hair or when to eat dinner…</p>
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<p>So alcohol fueled carnage at a New England LAC is a more mature existence? </p>
<p>Graduates from the class of 2011 are attending:</p>
<p>Massachusetts Institute of Technology - 7
Rice University - 5
Harvard University - 4
Rand Graduate School - 3
University of Washington - 3
Stanford University - 2</p>
<p>In all 34 graduates attending graduate school on National Scholarships. </p>
<p>Plus another 20 are attending graduate school with a commitment to return to Academy to teach. This list of schools includes University of Florida, Georgia Tech, College of William and Mary, Texas Tech, University of Arizona, Naval Postgraduate School and AFIT.</p>
<p>19 more are attending graduate school as part of the Acquisition Accession Program.</p>
<p>14 will be attending medical school.</p>
<p>495 will be attending pilot training.</p>
<p>The average graduate at age 24 to 25 will have more responsibility than most people will achieve in a lifetime. They have traveled extensively, have more cultural awareness, and far deeper understanding of civics and regional geopolitics than 99% of their peers.</p>
<p>These young men and women are truly giving back…in contrast to us boomers whose idea of giving back is “where’s mine.”</p>
<p>Too true. For those training in the US service academies, thank you so much for all that you do.</p>
<p>Yes, expenses are covered for cadets/mids. If they have outside scholarships, they can use them. Is it right? That’s hard to say. It depends on if you prioritize need or merit higher.</p>
<p>A lot of cadets choose USAFA because they know it is the premier AF institution for commissioning as an AF officer. Many want the challenge and feel that USAFA offers the best military and academic training. That does take some sacrifice.</p>
<p>Yes the fact that my college would be paid for was a draw to the Air Force Academy, just like any other scholarship is a draw to the school that offers it. Whether cadets should be allowed to compete for additional scholarships is a question I cannot give you an answer to, but frankly I think scholarship money should go to deserving students. I have a friend who uses the small stipend cadets get to help support his family back home, doesn’t he deserve a scholarship? Perhaps your wording did not accurately convey what you meant, but it sounds to me like you think attending a service academy is not a mature existence and that being able to own a car and decided what and when to eat is. </p>
<p>Really? I have grown more in the time I have been here than I thought possible. I would be happy to discuss with you the reasons I chose to attend the Air Force Academy and the reasons I chose to stay any time. I could have attended a number of similar cilvilian schools on scholarships with about the same cost to my parents, and had all the so called freedoms you mentioned, but I didn’t, and I am glad I didn’t. The same holds for the majority of cadets.</p>
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Well said. “Generally” speaking, if you can get into (appointed) to one of the SAs you will have financially attractive civilian college alternatives. If cost is a cadet’s primary concern then there are choices other than SAs that offer an “easier” lifestyle either for free or at affordable cost. SA appointees earned their appointments and continue to earn them both while at their SA and with their service afterwards.
You have much to learn about the current situation within AFROTC and the reasons why some students choose the USAFA instead.</p>
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<p>So true, but I think for most because they are not intimately connected they don’t understand the inner workings of the military regarding commissioning options. Teachandmom illustrated that with the comment of do ROTC AND OCS. </p>
<p>Teach, no insult, but you either do ROTC or do OCS, you don’t do both. Additionally, the majority of kids in college on scholarship are merit scholarships from that particular school. For an AFA cadet they aren’t taking money away from your child because they would not be attending the college.</p>
<p>Yes, there are national and local scholarships, but many state exactly how the money can be spent…i.e. tuition, room, board, books, thus, it is a moot point.</p>
<p>JMPO, but why should a cadet be penalized if he won the scholarship. They earned it. Would you feel the same way if they got a full ride merit from Duke, and also other scholarships that would give them cash to use however they wanted. Would you feel it wrong if their folks could easily financially afford to send them to college with no loans and took a free ride anyway?</p>