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EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
OFFICER PROGRAMS
ENLISTEE-TO-OFFICER PROGRAMS, PART 3
Pre-commissioning Program for Enlisted Personnel (PPEP)
The Coast Guard has temporarily set the selections for PPEP at zero due to reduced officer accession needs. That is, no applications for PPEP are currently being accepted. This page will be updated as other information becomes available. The information below describes the program as it existed in the past.
PPEP is a program which allows selected enlistees to attend college full-time for up to two years completely at the Coast Guard's expense, with the goal of qualifying for and attending OCS. PPEP students receive full pay and allowances for their pay grade and are eligible for advancement while in college. After graduation from OCS, applicants have an obligation of three months for every one-month in PPEP program. Click here for frequently asked questions (and answers to them) about PPEP.
The application process is the same as for OCS, with a few additional items you have to complete.
To be considered for PPEP, an applicant must:
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be an active duty enlistee, and
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be a U.S. citizen, and
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be at least 21 and less than 33 (as of 30 September of the fiscal year in which the selection board convenes), and
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have served on active duty for four years, two of which were in the Coast Guard, and
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have an SAT I combined score of 1100, an ACT score of 23, or and ASVAB GT score of 109, and
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provide official transcripts from accredited institutions demonstrating the ability to complete a bachelor's degree in 24 months and a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better, and
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meet the physical requirements for commissioning.
To remain in the program, you will have to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5.
Aviation Candidate (AVCAD) Program
The AVCAD program provides an enlisted Guardian a guaranteed opportunity to become a Coast Guard aviator. If you've been accepted to OCS you can apply for flight school while at OCS, but there is no guarantee when you enter OCS that you will be going to flight school. If you're accepted into the AVCAD program, you're accepted for both OCS and flight training. Thus, the AVCAD program is, essentially, OCS plus guaranteed flight school.
The qualifications for the AVCAD program are as you would imagine: you have to qualify for both OCS and flight school before you apply. The qualifications for OCS are described above. To qualify for flight school, you have to pass a flight physical and achieve certain scores on the tests which make up the Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB).
Selected Reserve Direct Commission (SRDC)
The SRDC program, essentially, is a program by which enlisted Reservists (or civilians) can become commissioned officers. SRDC officers attend a 3-week Reserve Officer Candidate Indoctrination (ROCI) course at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. They then continue in their civilian employment while serving on military duty an average of two days a month and two weeks a year.
To qualify for the SRDC program, an applicant must:
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be a U.S. citizen, and
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be at least 21 and not yet 37 years old (as of 30 September of the fiscal year in which the selection board convenes), and
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meet security requirements for commissioning, and
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meet the physical requirements for commissioning, and
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have a bachelor's or higher degree (if you're a civilian), or
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have at least 60 semester credits from a degree-granting college or university (if you are currently an E-5 or higher in the Coast Guard or Coast Guard Reserve).
The application process is the same as for OCS.