AFROTC HSSP Portal

H

hhma2019

Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2018
Messages
12
December 7th, my HSSP application status was changed to re-boarded and my HolmanCenter portal interface showed 7 icon choices: Cadet privacy statement, my AFROTC application, applicant privacy statement, application status, configure your browser, quick links, & classic home.

Recently, a new icon choice 'HSSP State and Majors' was added to the portal. When I opened it reads, "If you were awarded a Technical or Foreign Language Scholarship select both a state and major below. If you were awarded a Non-Technical Scholarship (any approved major) select only a state."

By any chance, would someone know why the HSSP State and Majors icon appeared in my portal when I am re-boarded to Feb./March? Is it common for this icon choice to appear for re-boarded applicants or is it a new choice that is being added to all applicants' portal regardless of status?
 
Last edited:
Great questions-- have you emailed your technician and asked for some clarity? That would probably be the quickest way to get a solid answer.

There definitely seem to be a number of changes this year that occurred in the middle of the boarding process (AFROTC website change, changes to interview eligibility requirements, seeming push of foreign language to the DoD programs rather than via AFROTC).

Please post back with what you learn for the other folks out there that are pursuing an HSSP award.
 
Tbpxece said:
There definitely seem to be a number of changes this year ... seeming push of foreign language to the DoD programs rather than via AFROTC)... .
Click to expand...

Can you elaborate?

What are "the DoD programs", and what is the "push" you refer to?
 
thibaud said:
Can you elaborate? What are "the DoD programs", and what is the "push" you refer to?
Click to expand...

On the new AFROTC page, they have dropped the list of foreign language majors and schools they want. They now point folks towards:

The Language Project, and Project Go

Project Go is specifically designed to pull applicants from AFROTC, AROTC, and NROTC on-campus programs. The Language Project doesn't appear to be limited to ROTC/military applicants, but is also a DoD funded/controlled language program. I cannot tell whether AFROTC still issues foreign language scholarships, and if they do, whether they still give preference to certain languages at certain schools. It looks more like they want folks to compete under Project Go and The Language Project, although I am not sure how they latter would work with ROTC.
 
AFROTC does indeed give language scholarships, but they are the minority. The recipient that accepts this type of scholarship should beware what the price they pay in the end if they want to go rated and are only accepting this type of scholarship to pay for college.

In essence, HQ AF is saying we have a critical manning issue when it comes to particular foreign languages at this point. HQ always has a 5 yr manpower plan in place. IE we are FY19, thus they have planned out their needs to FY24. If they are awarding a scholarship for foreign language for scholarships this yr., they are expecting they need them when you commission in 2023.

This is where posters typically talk about gaming the system regarding scholarships. You have a higher chance of receiving one if you go Tech of foreign language, BUT if you want to go rated, you might have reduced your chances of that option due to the major you selected.
~ Won't swear by the percentages, but a few years ago Electrical Engineers had a selection rate for UPT @10%, regardless of how high their PCSM/OML was compared to even a non-tech, if you weren't that top 10% of EEs you weren't going rated. The reason was simple. EEs were a critical manning issue and they entered as an EE. The needs of the AF outranked their desires to be a pilot.

The same is true for foreign language impo. You take this route and want to fly, than be prepared to fly a chair in the capacity of foreign language specialist. If you want to fly, but, major in foreign language take your chances as a non-tech major.
 
Pima said:
AFROTC does indeed give language scholarships, but they are the minority. The recipient that accepts this type of scholarship should beware what the price they pay in the end if they want to go rated and are only accepting this type of scholarship to pay for college.
Click to expand...

@Pima -- please review the latest AFROTC website changes, specifically the "highly desired majors" section. I understand TLP and Project Go have both been around for a few years, but it really looks like AFROTC is starting to push those two programs for foreign languages. Do you have any recent information indicating why this change was made? Previously, the AFROTC website listed foreign languages they wanted, and specific schools they preferred those students attend. The language list is still there, but the preferred schools list is gone (replaced by the TLP and Project Go links).
 
I do not have the answer to your question of why the change was made.
My only reason for posting on this thread was to make sure candidates understand that IF you opt for the language scholarship and want to fly you may have closed a door for going rated by accepting that specific scholarship because right now HQ ADAF is saying they have a critical manning issue when it comes to foreign languages.

Think about it this way. If they had more than enough AFROTC cadets majoring in foreign languages HQ AFROTC would never offer a scholarship for language majors. They would be like nursing, in the non-tech pool. As I stated, yrs ago nursing majors were like the language majors now. They were a specific scholarship tied to that major. Different pool than the candidate going engineering (tech) or the candidate going Econ (non-tech). It was nursing, and nursing only. Now because they are not part of the critical manning for ADAF, they are thrown back in the non-tech pool.
~ It is all about supply and demand. IMPO, eventually for languages it will be like nursing. They will fill up those positions and that language major will go back to being a non-tech scholarship.

Going back to gaming the scholarship. Recipients must understand if they want to change their major from foreign language to international relations, they will need HQ AFROTC approval. It is highly unlikely they will approve it, just like going tech to non-tech.
 
I got some questions about where these lieutenants with foreign language undergraduate degrees are going (all linguist/translator AFSC's are enlisted-only, unless I'm missing something).

To stay on-topic, though, good point @Pima . Gaming scholarships can be a gamble, especially with the specific degree requirements of 32E's, 62E's, and 61C/D's. For folks wanting to fly-- be super open about that with your cadre all throughout your college experience. There are very specific places the AF will place you with that engineering/physics/math degree if you don't get a rated slot (or if you wash out of UPT/UNT). Not that that's a bad thing-- flying is fun, but there are definitely senior pilots out there that have pigeon-holed themselves with limited employment options following retirement or separation. There is a lot to be said for leaving the service with command experience of hundreds of people + experience managing hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars' worth of assets + a provable track record of personnel management and problem solving. You can get that as a pilot, but it's not always as easy if you don't go the command track (especially outside of ops).
 
Although I won't be majoring in foreign language nor a tech major, I am interested in being a LRO when I commission.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top