Air Force/Space Force ROTCVerifiedDrill TeamColor GuardAir Force ROTC at The Pennsylvania State University
Yes — The Pennsylvania State University hosts Air Force ROTC on campus through Detachment 720 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus. Students from 2 partner schools also join it cross-town.
Detachment 720 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · Nittany Lions · 720
Nittany Lions is the AFROTC detachment at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus in Pennsylvania.
About this program
Air Force ROTC Detachment 720 at Penn State — with the motto "Aim High, Airmen" — trains and commissions the next generation of Air Force and Space Force leaders at the University Park campus. Its mission is to recruit, educate, train, and commission a diverse group of air and space leaders.
A distinctive feature of Detachment 720 is that it is entirely cadet-run: cadets fill a wide range of leadership positions and are encouraged to bring forward and implement their own ideas, allowing the detachment to evolve and improve year after year. That emphasis on initiative gives cadets real ownership of the program.
Academically, cadets attend weekly AIR classes covering Air Force history and leadership styles, and each week they take part in a Leadership Laboratory where they practice those skills, interact with fellow cadets, and learn about the active-duty Air Force — all while earning their Penn State degree and building lifelong friendships.
Scholarships at this unit
Tuition + fees capped at $18,000/yr, plus $900/yr textbook allowance and monthly stipend ($300-$500); may convert to a housing scholarship (up to $10,000/yr). AY27-28 minimums: SAT 1310 / ACT 28 / CLT 93, GPA 3.3. Window: July 1 - December 11, 2026. Award type is fixed at selection - no upgrades.
Service obligation: 4 years
In-College Scholarship Program for freshmen/sophomores already enrolled in AFROTC. Merit-based with fall and spring selection phases; same capped/uncapped structure as HSSP plus the $10,000/yr housing conversion. The General Charles McGee Leadership Award (CMLA) covers non-scholarship cadets who receive an enrollment allocation.
Service obligation: 4 years
Tuition + fees capped at $36,000/yr, plus $900/yr textbook allowance and monthly stipend ($300-$500); may convert to a housing scholarship (up to $10,000/yr). Type 4 replaced the old in-state Type 7 award in the current HSSP structure. AY27-28 minimums: SAT 1310 / ACT 28 / CLT 93, GPA 3.3. Window: July 1 - December 11, 2026.
Service obligation: 4 years
Full tuition with no cap + $900/yr textbook allowance + monthly stipend ($300 freshman to $500 senior); may convert to a housing scholarship (up to $10,000/yr). Most competitive tier. AY27-28 minimums: SAT 1310 / ACT 28 / CLT 93, unweighted GPA 3.3, single test sitting. Window: July 1 - December 11, 2026; two boards (Oct 2026, Mar 2027). 4-year active-duty obligation (longer for rated career fields).
Service obligation: 4 years
Cross-town and partner schools
Students at these schools can join Detachment 720 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus. They travel to The Pennsylvania State University for training.
Cross-enroll students take Aerospace Studies courses at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus.
Contact this unit
ROTCScholar is an independent directory. We do not run Detachment 720 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus, and we cannot answer questions about it. The details below belong to the unit. Use them to reach the unit directly.
Unit email
airforce@psu.eduThis is the address Detachment 720 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus publishes. You can email the unit directly. Or use the form below, and we will forward your message to that same address.
Phone: 814-865-5453
Official site: https://airforce.psu.edu
Location: The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16563-0001
Air Force ROTC FAQ
Does The Pennsylvania State University have Air Force ROTC?
Yes — The Pennsylvania State University hosts Air Force ROTC on campus through Detachment 720 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus. Students from 2 partner schools also join it cross-town.
Is Detachment 720 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus a host unit or cross-town?
Detachment 720 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus is the host unit, based at The Pennsylvania State University. Students at 2 partner schools join it cross-town and train at The Pennsylvania State University.
Where is Detachment 720 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus located?
Detachment 720 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus is hosted at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus in University Park, Pennsylvania. The detachment's training events, classes, and PT all run on the Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus campus.
Which colleges and universities can attend Detachment 720 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus?
In addition to Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus, students enrolled at Bucknell University, Susquehanna University, and Lock Haven University can contract through Detachment 720 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus via cross-town agreements. Cross-town cadets keep their primary academics at the partner school and travel to the host for ROTC-side coursework.
What scholarships are available through Detachment 720 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus?
AFROTC cadets at this detachment compete for AFROTC HSSP Type 1 (full tuition), AFROTC HSSP Type 2 ($18k cap), AFROTC HSSP Type 7 (in-state), ICSP (in-college). National awards apply out of high school; on-campus side-loads kick in once a cadet is enrolled and contracted.
What's the AFROTC summer training for cadets at Detachment 720 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus?
Between sophomore and junior year, cadets compete for slots at AFROTC Field Training at Maxwell AFB — the gate that converts a GMC cadet into a POC contracted cadet.
How big is the corps at Detachment 720 Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus?
Public corps-size figures aren't always published year-to-year; AFROTC detachments in this size class generally carry between several dozen and a few hundred contracted cadets depending on host enrollment.
What makes Penn State's Detachment 720 distinctive?
The detachment is entirely cadet-run: cadets hold a wide range of leadership positions and are encouraged to propose and implement their own ideas, so the program continually evolves each year.
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