Army Guard offers full-ride scholarships for college-bound Alaskans

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA, UNITED STATES

05.12.2026

Story by Maj. David Bedard 

Alaska National Guard   

Alaskans aged 17 to 28 have a unique opportunity to earn a college degree with major financial support through the Minuteman Scholarship with the Alaska Army National Guard. Four scholarships are available, offering full tuition and fees or $12,000 annually for room and board at colleges and universities with Army ROTC programs.

Recipients also receive a $1,200 annual book stipend and a $420 monthly ROTC cadet stipend. Additionally, participants gain practical experience through the Simultaneous Membership Program, allowing them to serve in an Army National Guard unit while attending college.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or nationals, between the ages of 17 and 28 (and under 31 by Dec. 31 of their commissioning year), have a minimum 2.5 GPA from high school or college, and meet the Army's physical fitness standards.

The deadline to apply is June 1.

Army ROTC Cadet Jake Thacker is a student at the University of Alaska Anchorage, a Minuteman Scholarship recipient, and he drills with the Alaska Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment.

Thacker said he knew he wanted to be an Army officer, but he didn’t know how he was going to pay for college. Alaska Army National Guard recruiter Staff Sgt. Kevin Swartz told him the Minuteman Scholarship would be a good fit for his goals, and Thacker successfully competed for a slot.

“The Minuteman Scholarship has been very helpful,” Thacker said. “It paid for all of my tuition I've needed so far, plus all of my books.”

Thacker took advantage of the opportunity after investigating military service opportunities.

“I was looking into joining the Army,” Thacker said. “My dad was an officer, so he recommended that I also become an officer instead of enlisting. So, I was looking into ROTC programs and talking to a lot of different recruiters, and I talked to [Staff Sgt. Kevin] Swartz at the Eagle River station where I found out about the Minuteman Scholarship.”

Thacker is using his benefits to pursue a degree in aviation science with an emphasis in aviation management, and he aims to fly helicopters as an officer in the Alaska Army National Guard. Currently, Thacker flies Cessna 172s working toward his private pilot license and his dream of being a pilot full-time.

“I was looking for what I wanted to do when I graduated, and I knew some people who were working on their pilot's license, and that was essentially it,” Thacker said. “I just decided I wanted to be a pilot, because it seemed like a pretty cool job. In terms of getting my pilot license, I'm basically there. I just need my check ride.”

Thacker didn’t need to leave Alaska to reach his aspirations, he said, because he gets top-tier aviation training at the University of Alaska.

“The program is very good,” he said. “There are a lot of great instructors, a lot of good professors. All the classes are super interesting, and there is very rarely a class that I don't enjoy.”

Drilling with the Infantry, Thacker said he gains tactical experience valuable to progressing in ROTC and pursuing his officer’s commission.

During an April 2026 ROTC leadership lab at the Alaska Army National Guard’s Alcantra Armory in Wasilla, Thacker took the opportunity to put lessons learned during infantry battle drills to good use.

“I know the answers to a lot of stuff already when they ask the question,” Thacker said. “So, that's nice.”

To learn more about eligibility and application instructions, please contact 1st Lt. Valentin Soto at [phone] or [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 05.12.2026
• Date Posted: 05.12.2026 16:41
• Story ID: 565076
• Location: JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA, US
• Hometown: EAGLE RIVER, ALASKA, US