Military Academy Nomination Applications are Now Open
Dear Friend,
Every year I have the distinct honor of nominating a handful of North Missouri’s finest young men and women to attend our Nation’s service academies—the US Military Academy (West Point), US Naval Academy, US Coast Guard Academy, US Air Force Academy, and the US Merchant Marine Academy. These institutions offer some of the finest educational opportunities in the world in exchange for a five-year commitment to serve our nation.
There are some basic requirements that every applicant must meet:
- Be at least 17 years old, but not have passed the 23rd birthday. (25 for the Merchant Marine Academy).
- Be a U.S. Citizen and a permanent resident of Missouri.
- Be unmarried, not pregnant, and have no legal obligation to support children or other dependents.
- Meet the medical, physical, and academic requirements of the Academy.
- Be of good moral character.
- Have a valid Social Security Number.
But meeting these requirements is no guarantee of admission. The application process is incredibly competitive. Less than 15 percent of applicants are ultimately accepted into each of our Nation’s service academies every year.
Students don’t have to have a Congressional nomination in order to attend a service academy. The President and Vice President also nominate students and there are a variety of opportunities available to currently enlisted members of the military, ROTC students, and children of certain veterans. However, I do encourage every student interested in attending one of our Nation’s service academies to apply for a Congressional nomination through my office.
I want to ensure every year that we’re putting forward the best of North Missouri students to serve our Nation. That’s no easy task, which is why I have an Academy Nomination Review Board, comprised of service academy graduates, veterans, and community leaders from across North Missouri to help me select the very best candidates.
However, we can only select from those that apply, so I encourage you to share this opportunity with anyone who you think might be interested in learning more about receiving a congressional nomination to attend one of our Nation’s service academies. To learn more, students can visit: graves.house.gov/services/
The application period for nominations is open from now until 5:00pm on October 6th, 2023.
Sincerely,
Sam Graves