The Air Force has established a new commissioning program for enlisted members who desire to obtain a bachelor of science degree in nursing and become a commissioned officer nurse in the United States Air Force. The program is called the Nurse Enlisted Commissioning Program, or NECP. Those selected for the program will attend college full-time at an accredited university, while remaining on active duty.
Selection boards for the program will be conducted periodically. The first selection board is scheduled to be conducted at the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, in July. Applications must be received no later than June 25. The nurse corps hopes to select 50 students for the upcoming fall semester.
"We are very excited to offer this accelerated nursing scholarship to our enlisted Airmen," Maj. Gen. Melissa A. Rank, assistant Air Force surgeon general of the Medical Force Development and Nursing Services, told the Air Force News Service..
"They are the backbone of our Air Force and a proven, reliable and highly respected force multiplier," the general said.
"We see this endeavor as a win-win all around; the nurse corps gains vital military-tested and proven nursing assets, the Air Force retain these invaluable members of our family, and the individual gains exceptional knowledge and skills to further their academic and professional careers," she said.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must:
- Be active duty, E-4 and above
- Be a citizen of the United States (a certified copy of birth certificate, passport or certificate of citizenship/naturalization is required)
- Be commissioned by age 42
- Be worldwide qualified
- Meet all the requirements for commissioning
- Meet all prerequisites to complete an academic review
- Have completed 59 semester hours of graded college coursework from a regionally accredited college or university
- Have completed the following courses as part of the required 59 hours:
· general psychology
· anatomy and physiology I and II (labs required)
· microbiology (lab required)
· chemistry I and II (labs required)
· nutrition
· statistics
(College Level Examination Program coursework will be accepted, with the exception of labs)
