Have you ever wondered if you could serve in the military and get your college tuition paid for? CSUSB offers classes that have helped me do both, and here is how you can too.
The United States Air Force needs officers, the primary leadership in the military. Officers are tasked with leading and working with the enlisted members of the military and can be thought of as the military’s managers. While an enlisted member can join without a college degree, an officer has to have a bachelor’s degree to qualify. For that reason, the Air Force is willing to offer a scholarship to cover the cost of tuition for those who are called to lead, serve, and care for people.
The jobs available to those who take this path are equally rewarding and lucrative. Pilots, Cyber Security, and Intelligence officers are positions that the Air Force needs filled and can offer great careers inside and outside the military. A pilot who serves in the Air Force can enjoy a high-paying career during their mandatory service and then fly civilian aircraft afterwards, making even more money.
Officership is not an easy path but is a rewarding one. Leading Airmen as an Air Force officer allows you to serve your country and feel a tremendous sense of fulfillment. The skills I have gained from this program are worth the hours I have put into it, even without the scholarship. Being able to acquire them and have my college paid for, and a career that starts right after, makes CSUSB’s AFROTC Detachment 002 second to none.
Many students of CSUSB can tell you about the benefits of this program and the scholarship, but I have the honor of having first hand experience as a cadet (the name given to ROTC trainees) here at CSUSB.
I have been selected as a public affairs officer, which is equivalent to the public relations sector of the Air Force. This career field gives me job security, and if I ever choose to separate, it would be a great field of experience to include on my resume when I hunt for PR jobs.
I am a third-year cadet in my third year of college at CSUSB. I have made it my mission to get my education paid for while fulfilling my lifelong dream of serving. To date, I have never paid a penny for college tuition, and the money I have spent on books has been paid back to me through my Air Force ROTC scholarship. Here is how I did it:
I began my education at Victor Valley College after high school. Financial Aid covered two years of my Associate of Arts in Communications education. During that time, I was also cross-enrolled at CSUSB to participate in the AFROTC program, which was also covered through financial aid. I invest roughly 8 hours a week through bi-weekly training: one hour of physical training on Tuesdays and Fridays, and 4 hours of military training and class time on Fridays. The additional time accounts for the time in between classes.
After performing well in my first two years and passing all of the physical and leadership tests, I was able to attend Field Training, AFROTC’s version of basic training. After successfully passing the three weeks of training (substantially shorter than BMT), I was granted the Type 2 scholarship.
The Type 2 scholarship that is obtained after Field Training awards $18,000 a year in tuition or $10,000 a year for campus housing, $450 living stipend a month, and $900 in book stipends a year.
If you are interested in joining, you will be received with open arms. This program has changed my life and has offered me a way to pay for and attend college, countless career opportunities, and friends I will have for the rest of my life.
Visit www.afrotc.com to learn how to start, and I hope to see you there this next semester.