2442 Sqn Website

sponsorship

If you plan to join the Royal Air Force as a career, you may be interested to learn that the Ministry of Defence is willing to pay for your tuition throughout college and university.

1) RAF Sixth Form Scholarship:

If you are about to start a two-year GCE 'A' level course at school or sixth form college, your parents or guardians could receive an annual tax-free gift in excess of £1000 towards the cost of your studies. For young man or women who is certain of their decision to make a career in the RAF, it is an excellent opportunity.

Once you've been accepted for a Scholarship, you'll go about your studies the same as your friends at school. Obviously we'd like to see you become a member of your local ATC Squadron, and we'll give you several chances to visit an operational RAF station. You may also be able to take up a Flying Scholarship, but again there's no rigid compulsion to do so. You may be sent on a two-seek course at the RAF's Outdoor Activities Centre at Grantown-on-Spey in Scotland, which will give you an introduction to the role of an RAF officer.

Once you've passed you exams with suitable results you'll be guaranteed a place at the RAF College Cranwell for Initial Officer Training, subject to the continuing requirements of the Service. If you pass this course you will be commissioned into your chosen branch.

The Sixth Form Scholarship, then, is aimed at young men and women who have set their sights on a career in the RAF. In return for the award, however, you Parent (or Guardian) must be prepared to give all the money back should you fail to gain the qualifications required or do not meet your commitment. Some scholars, having completed their 'A' level studies, go on to university having applied for RAF University Sponsorship. Whether or not successful in this application, the 6th Form Scholarship commitment to RAF Service after 'A' Levels in then waved, providing the ex-scholar takes up a place in higher education. A one-year scholarship is also available in exceptional circumstances.

Eligibility:

Both you and your parents must be Commonwealth citizens or citizens of the Republic of Ireland since birth, and must have been born in a country which at the time was a part of the Commonwealth, or the Republic of Ireland. In exceptional circumstances these requirements may be waved.
The Scholarship is open to both boys and girls
You should have lived in the UK for at least five yours preceding your application, but again, exceptions are occasionally made.
You must be between 15 and 17 years old on 1st September of you first 'A' level you e.g. you must not be 17 before 1st September.
You must have, or expect to have, five GCSEs at grade C or above or five SCEs at Standard Grade 3 or above (or acceptable equivalent) and these must include English Language and Maths.

Application:

You should make sure you application is made between 1st January and 15th May for a Scholarship starting in September, and usually forms are completed during the spring term of the school fifth year. The form is available after you have attended a presentation at you local Careers Information Officer. Your head teacher will be asked to contribute a confidential report.

If you fail to win a Sixth Form Scholarship, your chances of gaining a commission in the RAF at a late stage will not be affected.

2) RAF Flying Scholarships:

With a RAF Flying Scholarship, you could receive 20 hours of free flying at a civilian flying club. The scheme allows young men and women who are keen on a career in the RAF to discover the excitement of flying without having to make any commitment for the future. The training is in light aircraft at an approved civilian flying club, and normally includes about 8 to 10 hours solo flying, plus full instruction in ground subjects.

Eligibility:

You must be a Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland.
The Scholarship is open to both boys and girls.
You must be between the ages of 16 and under 22 (under 19 if not a cadet) when you apply.
You must be in full-time education or be a member of your local Air Training Corps or Combined Cadet Force (RAF).
You must have or expect to get five GCSEs at Grade C or above or five SCEs at Standard Grade 3 or above (or acceptable equivalent) and these must include English Language and Maths.

Application:

If you are at school or sixth form college, you can apply when you are over 16 years old, but flying training cannot commence before your 17th birthday. Remember that you must be able to keep up to 18 consecutive days free for the scheme:

3) RAF University Cadetships:

Whether you're filling in your UCAS form or halfway through your university degree, a RAF Cadetship could offer you a good salary while you study and a commission as an Acting Pilot Officer from the beginning of your first term or the term following your acceptance. Details for entry as an undergraduate are given later in the leaflet, but much of the information on school-leaver entry applies to both methods. On graduation, you enter full-time RAF training as a junior Officer.

Most candidates for Cadetship make their application at the same time as they fill in their UCAS forms, which is usually about a year before they intend to start their degree course. If you are a school leaver, you will attend a 14-day University Cadets Introductory Course at the RAF College Cranwell, during the summer vacation before your course begins. Once you're at university or college, you'll become an Acting Pilot Officer right from the start, which means you'll receive an annual salary as well as having all the costs of your course paid. Only board and lodging have to be paid for out of a cadet's salary.

During your time at university you'll live just the same life as your civilian friends, although of course as a commissioned officer in the Service we'd expect you to conduct yourself appropriately. You'll wear civilian clothes and participate in the sports and societies of your university, and you'll have most of your vacations free too.

As you have been commissioned. however, you will have responsibilities as an RAF officer. First, you'll be enrolled in your University Air Squadron, which will provide you with both training and an introduction to Service social life. For Cadets in the General Duties (Flying) branch, that means the opportunity to put in an extensive period of flying training as a flying member of the UAS (University Air Squadron). Cadets in the ground branches may take a shorter flying course which will comprise up to five hours' flying per year in the first and second year at university. You'll go on annual training, which is usually about a week at Christmas and Easter and a month in the summer. Your academic studies and your training record will be monitored by academic staff from the RAF College Cranwell and your UAS Commanding Officer.

At the end of your degree course, soon after you've graduated, you'll enter the RAF College, Cranwell as a Pilot Officer, and begin an Initial Officer Training course. From then on you'll follow the career path of your branch, becoming a Flight Lieutenant within two or three years. Failure to graduate from university, however, if the fault can reasonably be said to be your own, will make you responsible to pay back to the Ministry of Defence all costs expended on your Cadetship. If you graduate but decide not to enter the RAF College Cranwell on an Initial Officer Training course you will also be responsible to pay back to the Ministry of Defence the costs expended on your Cadetship.

Eligibility:

As for Sixth Form Scholarship
Cadetship is open to boys and girls
As for Sixth Form Scholarship
You should be aged 17 1/2 if you start a Cadetship straight from school but an exception can be made if you will become 17 1/2 during the first term. If you are not going to university straight from school, you should bear the following age restrictions in mind: pilots must be able to start full-time training by their 24th birthday and navigators by their 26th birthday; engineers should be under 25 when they begin their degree course; all other branches expect their cadets to be under 23 when they begin their degree course.
You must have five GCSEs at Grade C or above or five SCEs at Standard Grade 3 or above (or acceptable equivalent) and these must include English Language and Maths. Additionally, you should expect to pass at least two 'A' levels and obtain a place at a UK university or college on a full-time accepted degree course.

Application:

If you are still at school, you should send in your application at the beginning of the academic year before you intend to start university. Most applicants send in their forms at the same time as they fill out their UCAS forms, but you should make sure it is in by 30th November. If you have already left school the same schedule applies. The form is available after you have attended a presentation at your local Careers Information Office.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions):

What degree should I study?

University Cadetships are awarded in the following branches of the RAF:

General Duties (Flying)	Pilot Navigator
General Duties (Ground)	Air Traffic Control Fighter Control Intelligence Engineer Supply
Administrative	Secretarial Education Catering
Security	RAF Regiment
Medical and Dental	Provost

For Engineering, a degree course in aeronautical, mechanical, electrical electronic or air transport engineering, or another allied engineering, scientific or mathematical subject with a content acceptable to the Ministry of Defence would be appropriate. For Catering, only a degree course in catering studies will be accepted. The Education specialisation would prefer a degree in maths, computer science, physics or engineering, but might accept a degree which includes maths or physics as a main subject. A few opportunities exist for German, French (both preferably with linguistics), history with international relations, management science, or TEFL. Cadetships in the Education branch are normally available to candidates who have completed a minimum of one year at university, and include a post graduate teacher training of one year.

What are the terms of my commission?

When you take up a full Cadetship for the duration of your degree course you are appointed to a permanent commission. This means you will serve until you reach the age of 38 or until you complete 16 years of service from the age of 21, whichever is later.

Many graduates can expect to reach the rank of Squadron Leader by their early 30s, but if you fail to reach that level after 12 years of post-graduate service you may leave if you wish. Ground personnel may apply for early release after five years' productive service after successful completion of professional training. Aircrew may apply after six years' productive service after successful completion of an operational conversion unit.

What-if I am already at university?

You may have failed to secure a full Cadetship after leaving school; you may have made the decision to join the RAF at a later date; you may only have considered the option during your studies. In any of these cases you may opt for an undergraduate Cadetship, which will normally come into effect at the beginning of the academic term following your acceptance of the award. The conditions outlined above for Cadetships apply here, with some exceptions:

What if I am about to start, or have already started my final year?

You may apply for a one-, two- or three-term Cadetship on the terms outlined above, except that your Commission may either be a Permanent or Short Service six-year one or, for the General Duties branch, 12 years with the option to leave after 6 years productive service.

For a full leaflet with information on RAF Careers and RAF Sponsorship please contact your local careers advisor.

Back To The Top

Last Updated 01 November 2006
Please direct any enquiries to: 2442 Sqn, The Tower, Westbury College, College Road, Westbury On Trym, Bristol, BS9 3EJ