Academy Nominations

As your United States Senator, I have the honor of nominating outstanding young individuals to attend our nation’s prestigious military service academies. These institutions prepare students to serve as commissioned officers in the United States Armed Forces, while also providing them with a world-class education. This is an extremely competitive process; a Maryland Senate office typically receives between 400-450 applications each year for the 15 nominations available for the Naval, Military, and Air Force Academies and 10 nominations for the Merchant Marine Academy.

The four service academies that require a congressional nomination are:

• U.S. Military Academy – West Point, NY
• U.S. Naval Academy – Annapolis, MD
• U.S. Air Force Academy – Colorado Springs, CO
• U.S. Merchant Marine Academy – Kings Point, NY

Please note: The U.S. Coast Guard Academy does not require a congressional nomination.

Minimum Eligibility Requirements for Service Academy

To be considered for an Academy nomination, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be at least 17 years old but not yet 23 by July 1 of the year of admission (not yet 25 for Merchant Marine Academy)
• Be unmarried and have no legal obligation to support a child or other dependents (DOD regulations)
• Be a resident of the State of Maryland
• Meet the academic, physical, and character requirements of the Academy.

My application process

My application for a service academy nomination for the Class of 2031 will be available on May 21, 2026

DEADLINE

Applications must be received by Monday, September 21, 2026, at 11:59PM (EST)

SELECTION PROCESS

After my service academy team reviews your application, eligible candidates will be invited to interview virtually with my service academy board the week of November 9th. I will submit my slates of nominations after interviews are completed. Applicants will be notified of my decision by January 31, 2027