Air Force ROTC Eligibility

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or within six months of earning a U.S. citizenship.
  • Must be a freshman in college or have at least three years of undergraduate school remaining.
    • You can complete the third year of the program as a graduate student if granted a waiver.
  • Must be physically fit and within height and weight standards.
    • The Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) is administered every semester and consists of a 1.5 mile run, one minute of pushups, and one minute of sit ups.
    • Height and weight standards are determined using the Body Mass Index (BMI) scale.
  • Must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or greater for all college courses ever taken.
  • Must pass the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT).
    • Usually taken during your second year. Must pass in order to qualify for an enrollment allocation (field training)
  • Must be able to qualify medically through the Department of Defense (DOD) Medical

Evaluation Board

To become a fully qualified cadet, you must take and pass a DoDMERB (Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board) physical. This exam will be provided to you at no cost within your first few weeks of participating in AFROTC. All medical qualification decisions are made by a team of medical professionals on a case-by-case basis. Students who are concerned about something in their medical history are encouraged to discuss the issue with the AFROTC detachment staff; however, we do not have the expertise or authority to make final judgements about your qualifications for the program.

Do I have to be enrolled as a student at Manhattan College to be a part of Detachment 560?
No! Detachment 560 (Manhattan College) has cadets from several “cross-town” schools in the New York City Area, including Fordham University.

What do I need to do to join?
To be eligible, you must be enrolled as a full-time student (12 credit hours) at Fordham University or one of our cross-town campuses.

I am a sophomore or junior. Can I join ROTC?
If you are a sophomore you may join ROTC. You will have to take two AS classes (100 & 200) to make up for the year that you missed. It is not ideal, but it is doable. We’ve had many cadets enter as sophomores and go on to do great things in ROTC and in the Air Force. If you are a junior your situation will be looked in a case-by-case basis to determine if you meet ROTC requirements.

I am a freshman/sophomore. Can I join during the spring semester?
If you are a freshman, yes you may join. However, you will have to make up the previous semester’s objectives before moving on in the program. If you are a sophomore, your situation will be looked at in a case-by-case basis to determine if you meet ROTC requirements.

I am a senior/grad student. Can I join ROTC?
No, you may not. You will not meet the required objectives. We recommend seeking out an Officer Training School (OTS) recruiter if you still want to become an officer in the Air Force.

Do I have to sign an active duty contract in order to join?
No, not to join AFROTC. You will sign a contract at some point during your AFROTC career, which will obligate you to spend four years as an active duty Air Force officer. If you are a high school scholarship winner, you will have the first year of AFROTC to try it out and decide if it’s something that you want to continue to do. You can leave the AFROTC program (and end your scholarship benefits) any time during the first year of the program. If you leave before the start of your second year, you will not owe the Air Force anything. If you are not a high school scholarship winner, you have the first two years of your AFROTC career to decide if the Air Force is a path you’d like to pursue for a career. If, during your first two years in the program, you decide not to continue with AFROTC, you can leave with no obligation to the Air Force. However, once you return from Field Training and begin your third year in the program, you will sign a contract that obligates you to spend four years as an active duty Air Force officer. If you receive an in-college scholarship, you will sign a contract that obligates you to a four-year active duty commitment when you accept the scholarship.

I have a medical condition. Can I still join AFROTC?
To become a fully qualified cadet, you must take and pass a DoDMERB (Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board) physical. This exam will be provided to you at no cost within your first few weeks of participating in AFROTC. All medical qualification decisions are made by a team of medical professionals on a case-by-case basis. Students who are concerned about something in their medical history are encouraged to discuss the issue with the AFROTC detachment staff; however, we do not have the expertise or authority to make final judgements about your qualifications for the program.