Air Force/Space Force ROTCDrill TeamColor GuardAir Force ROTC at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Detachment 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Volunteers · 790
Volunteers is the AFROTC detachment at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville in Tennessee.
About this program
Detachment 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville sits inside The University of Tennessee, Knoxville as the campus's AFROTC detachment. AFROTC has been on this campus since 1947. 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.
Pellissippi State Community College, Maryville College, and Tusculum University are the cross-town partner schools feeding Detachment 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville. 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, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville draws cadets into history and the humanities as well as engineering and physical sciences, 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 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville by commuting to The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Cross-enroll students take Aerospace Studies courses at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
Cross-enroll students take Aerospace Studies courses at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
Cross-enroll students take Aerospace Studies courses at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
Contact & location
Located at: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37996
Air Force ROTC FAQ
Where is Detachment 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville located?
Detachment 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is hosted at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville in Knoxville, Tennessee. The detachment's training events, classes, and PT all run on the The University of Tennessee, Knoxville campus.
Which colleges and universities can attend Detachment 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?
In addition to The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, students enrolled at Pellissippi State Community College, Maryville College, and Tusculum University can contract through Detachment 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville 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 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?
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 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?
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 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?
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 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?
Yes — Detachment 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville accepts cross-town and partner students from 3 other institutions, including Pellissippi State Community College, Maryville College, Tusculum University. See the cross-town options for distance and enrollment paths.
Can I commission through Detachment 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville as any major?
Air Force programs accept students from most academic majors at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Some scholarships and commissioning options (e.g., nursing, engineering, foreign-language) carry major requirements — confirm with the unit before declaring.
When was Detachment 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville founded?
Detachment 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville was established in 1947.
Interested in Detachment 790 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?
Send your details and the cadre can reach out about visits, scholarships, and next steps.
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