Appointments to fill vacancies from this competitive category are made from candidates in order of merit. Twenty appointments are authorized each year.

(a) Honor military and honor Naval schools:

(1) Five honor graduates, or prospective honor graduates, from each designated honor military and honor naval school may be nominated to fill the vacancies allocated to this category. School authorities must certify that each nominee is a prospective honor graduate or an honor graduate, and meets the basic eligibility requirements.

(2) School authorities submit nominees directly to the Academy (USAFA/RRS) using specific nomination forms. Such nominations are submitted no later than January 31 of the entry year. Nominations are not limited to honor graduates of the current year. An individual eligible for nomination in this category applies to the administrative authority of the school involved.

(b) AFROTC and AFJROTC:

(1) Five students from each college or university AFROTC detachment may be nominated to compete for the vacancies allocated in this category.

(i) Students must apply for nomination to the Professor of Aerospace Studies (PAS) who must certify that the applicants meet the basic eligibility requirements and have or will have satisfactorily completed at least 1 year of scholastic work at the time the class for which they are applying enters the Academy.

(ii) The PAS uses the forms provided by the Academy to recommend for nomination the five best-qualified applicants to the president of the educational institution in which the AFROTC detachment is established.

(iii) Nominations from the president of the institution are submitted directly to the Academy (USAFA/RRS) by January 31 of the entry year.

(2) Five students from each high school AFJROTC detachment may be nominated to compete for the vacancies allocated to this category.

(i) Students must apply for nomination to the Aerospace Science Instructor, who must certify that the applicants meet the basic eligibility requirements and have or will have successfully completed the prescribed AFJROTC program by the end of the school year.

(ii) The Aerospace Science Instructor uses the nomination forms provided by the Academy to recommend for nomination the five best-qualified applicants to the principal of the high school in which the AFJROTC detachment is established.

(iii) Nominations from the principal of the high school are submitted directly to the Academy by January 31 of the entry year.