FY10 Professional Officer Course-Early Release Program (POC-ERP)
The applicant is ultimately responsible for the completeness and accuracy of their package. The Education Center will assist the member in an advisory capacity only.
As part of the board process, applicants will be evaluated on their ability to put their package together in the proper format in accordance with the ECP Package Checklist and directions on this site.
Personnel within one year of completing their bachelor's degree or desiring to earn graduate degrees may not participate in this program. They should seek commissioning through OTS.
Description.
The Professional Officer Course-Early Release Program (POC-ERP) offers active duty enlisted personnel who can complete all bachelor's degree and commissioning requirements within 2 years an opportunity for an early release from the active duty Air Force to enter the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC).
Those selected separate from the active duty Air Force, join an Air Force ROTC detachment and become a full-time college student. The Air Force provides them with an annual textbook allowance of $900, and a monthly nontaxable stipend of $250-$500. Students may not pay the difference to attend higher cost schools.
Waiver requests are due to HQ AFROTC/RRUE and must be postmarked NET 15 July and NLT 1 September each year. Application packages must reach HQ AFROTC/RRUE postmarked NET 15 September and NLT 15 October each year. Late packages or late waiver requests will not be accepted and will be returned to the applicant.
Scholarships are awarded in a variety of fields.
Technical: Computer, Electrical, and Environmental Engineering
Aeronautical, Aerospace, Architectural, Astronautical, Civil, Meteorology/Atmospheric Sciences, and Mechanical Engineering, Architecture, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Operations Research, Physics and all other Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET)-accredited engineering majors
Non-technical: all other majors
Technical majors must be ABET-accredited at the university the applicant plans to attend. Nursing degrees must be accredited by the National League of Nursing or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Technical majors must be completed in 2 years, to include SAF-approved 5 year majors.
If selected, you would separate from the active duty Air Force, join an Air Force ROTC detachment and become a full-time college student. Although AFROTC does not provide scholarship funding for this program, students are limited to attending school with annual tuition and fees not exceeding $15,000. Students may not pay the difference to attend higher cost schools. You can pursue a bachelor's degree and will be commissioned as a second lieutenant upon graduation and completion of the two-year program. POC-ERP is not open to graduate degrees. You will then be returned to active duty (typically within 60 days of commissioning) with a military obligation of 4 yrs active/4 yrs Reserves..
POC-ERP Selections boards consider applicants using the "whole person" concept. As part of the board process, applicants will be evaluated on their ability to put their package together in the proper format in accordance with the ECP Package Checklist and directions on this site. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the package is complete.
What are your chances? There has been a decline in POC-ERP submissions the past few years; traditionally, those competing for POC-ERP also submit ASCP and/or SOAR packages and are awarded those opportunities.
What are your chances?
POC-ERP BOARD
SELECTION PERCENTAGE
December 2006
25%
December 2007
25%
December 2008
100%
December 2009
N/A
Are you eligible? To be eligible for this program you must:
*waivers must be in:
Plain brown folder (letter size) with label to include: First Line - Last Name, First Name, and Rank; Second Line - Waiver type; Third Line - Program applying for
Meet the age requirements. You must be under age 30 by the application date or have obtained an age waiver [available if you can commission before age 35]. Check out the age requirements page for more details.
For applicants applying for Nursing: Title 10, United States Code (USC), Section 12201 authorizes the appointment of fully qualified health professions officers (Nurses) beyond age 31. Nurse applicants may be commissioned prior to their 42nd birthday, pending the needs of the Air Force. Applicants commissioning over the age of 31 will need to submit a waiver request to HQ AFROTC/RRUE. The waiver request will be forwarded to HQ AFPC/DPAMN for consideration and/or approval. HQ AF/SGC is the final approval authority for nursing age waivers.
Have at least one year Time-In-Service (Waiverable - except for pipeline technical school students--Note: approval of waivers are not guaranteed and waivers must reach HQ AFROTC/RRUE postmarked NLT 1 September ).
Have at least one year Time-On-Station (Waiverable--Note: approval of waivers are not guaranteed and waivers must reach HQ AFROTC/RRUE postmarked NLT 1 September).
Be recommended by your immediate commander.
Have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average of graded college work.
Must be able to complete their degree within two years.
If you do not have graded college work, you must have earned an ACT composite score of 24 or higher or an SAT1 combined Verbal and Math score of 1100 or more. This requirement is not waiverable.
Be admitted to a school offering Air Force ROTC (including cross-town schools) and the academic major you desire to study.
Earn Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) scores of 15 or more on the Verbal scale and 10 or more on the Quantitative scale. NOTE: AFOQT scores may be waiverable for those who have taken the test twice and failed both times.
Meet all the requirements for commissioning (physical, moral, fitness, etc.) listed in AFI 36-2013, chapter 1, and AFI 36-2005.
Must not be selected for reassignment prior to submission of the application. Applicants must resolve assignment issues in coordination with their AFSC Functional Manager at HQ AFPC.
Meet the requirement for overseas retainability. For individuals at an OCONUS location, IAW AFI 36-2013, Table 1.1, rule 7, the applicant may not apply if the applicant does not apply before the 25th day of the 8th month before the date eligible for return from overseas month....translated: applicants must have approximately 8 months left on station by the package due date. The MPF can help the applicant determine what the new DEROS will need to be to be eligible to apply. If the applicant does not, they must request an extension through their normal base channels. If the applicant does not have enough time remaining on their assignment, they will be ineligible to apply for a commissioning program.
Special rules apply for those who need a TOS or DEROS waiver. See the program application page for more details.
How will you afford this program? If selected for POC-ERP, you will separate from the Air Force. You will no longer be collecting military pay and benefits and will be living on the civilian economy like any other college student. If you meet the statutory age requirements, you may qualify for the Professional Officer Course Incentive.
