Air Force/Space Force ROTCDrill TeamColor GuardAir Force ROTC at South Dakota State University
Detachment 780 South Dakota State University · Coyotes · 780
AFROTC at South Dakota State University commissions officers alongside University of South Dakota cross-town students.
About this program
Detachment 780 South Dakota State University sits inside South Dakota State University as the campus's AFROTC detachment. AFROTC has been on this campus since 1951. The mission is straightforward — produce U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force officers — and the cadre run a four-year curriculum to do exactly that.
University of South Dakota and Dakota State University are the cross-town partner schools feeding Detachment 780 South Dakota State University. Det leadership runs a single training schedule for the consortium, and all cadets — host and partner — show up to the same PT, lab, and AS classes.
Cadets pursue HSSP Type 1, Type 2, or Type 7 awards as high-school seniors and the In-College Scholarship Program once they're contracted. Tech and rated-pilot slots run through the same detachment board cycle. On the academic side, South Dakota State University draws cadets into history and the humanities as well as nursing and health professions, and the cadre work directly with academic advising on time-conflict resolution between ROTC and major requirements.
Scholarships available here
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 & partner schools served
Students at these schools can commission through Detachment 780 South Dakota State University by commuting to South Dakota State University.
Cross-enroll students take Aerospace Studies courses at South Dakota State University.
Cross-enroll students take Aerospace Studies courses at South Dakota State University.
Contact & location
Located at: South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007-1898
Air Force ROTC FAQ
Where is Detachment 780 South Dakota State University located?
Detachment 780 South Dakota State University is hosted at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota. The detachment's training events, classes, and PT all run on the South Dakota State University campus.
Which colleges and universities can attend Detachment 780 South Dakota State University?
In addition to South Dakota State University, students enrolled at University of South Dakota and Dakota State University can contract through Detachment 780 South Dakota State University 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 780 South Dakota State University?
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 780 South Dakota State University?
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 780 South Dakota State University?
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.
Can students at other schools join Detachment 780 South Dakota State University?
Yes — Detachment 780 South Dakota State University accepts cross-town and partner students from 2 other institutions, including Dakota State University, University of South Dakota. See the cross-town options for distance and enrollment paths.
Can I commission through Detachment 780 South Dakota State University as any major?
Air Force programs accept students from most academic majors at South Dakota State University. Some scholarships and commissioning options (e.g., nursing, engineering, foreign-language) carry major requirements — confirm with the unit before declaring.
When was Detachment 780 South Dakota State University founded?
Detachment 780 South Dakota State University was established in 1951.
Interested in Detachment 780 South Dakota State University?
Send your details and the cadre can reach out about visits, scholarships, and next steps.
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