Central Minnesota Students Can Apply for Military Academy Nomination

(KNSI) – Central Minnesota high school students hoping to one of the nation’s elite military academies can take the first step this fall.

Congressman Tom Emmer is now accepting applications from students who want his nomination to one of four service academies. They include the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. A congressional nomination is required for admission to all four.

Emmer’s office is holding an information night for students and parents on Tuesday, September 22nd at 6:00 p.m. at the St. Cloud Public Library in Mississippi Room 106. Staff will walk families through how the application and nomination process works.

Students who are accepted get a four-year, tuition-free college education. In return, graduates commit to serving at least five years in the military.

To qualify, applicants must live in Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District, be U.S. citizens and be no older than 22. They also cannot be married, have ever been married, or have dependents.

Applications must be mailed to Emmer’s Otsego district office and postmarked by October 30th. The packet includes a transcript, SAT or ACT scores, three letters of recommendation, a photo and a typed essay of no more than two pages explaining why the student wants to attend an academy. Interviews with finalists are set for November 14th.

Emmer’s office recommends students start the process in the spring of their junior year. Students applying to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, do not need a congressional nomination.

More information is available from Emmer’s Otsego office at (763) 241-6848.

___