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I am in a little bit of a dilemma. I applied for university a couple months back and have finally been accepted with the compromise I get my predicted grades such as my C in Maths and D*D*D in my Public Service course.

Prior to my course I lived in France so don’t have any GCSE’s apart from English hence why I’m retaking Maths. Anyway, I was hoping to be able to go to university whilst part of the RAF and get funded on the conditions I promise to join as soon as I’ve finished university, however apparently they don’t do this for the RAF only in the RN.

I’m now stuck as I was hoping to get my degree then join as a Police officer. Whilst uni would be paid or funded for I would also be able to continue driving lessons to past my test.
I’m now unsure whether to still go to university and study 3 years struggling to get everything done or join the RAF police and make my way up to officer to have a better understand of the role. I understand I may have to wait in the long run but in the meantime I’d work full time and pass my driving that way.

Any advice would be much appreciated, thanks in advance.

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Reply 1
Original post by Anonymous
join the RAF police and make my way up to officer to have a better understand of the role.


Doesn't really work that way in the RAF. You either join as an airman or as an officer. There is a chance to go from airman to officer later, but it is by no means guaranteed.


You'll also have to check the residency requirements, living outside of the country for substantial periods of time will affect whether or not you can apply at all.
Original post by Drewski
Doesn't really work that way in the RAF. You either join as an airman or as an officer. There is a chance to go from airman to officer later, but it is by no means guaranteed.


You'll also have to check the residency requirements, living outside of the country for substantial periods of time will affect whether or not you can apply at all.


I was part of the Naval Reserves and this was never an issue.
I would go to uni first and then join as an officer, you get to jump quite a few rungs of the ladder that way
Original post by rinofthemill
I would go to uni first and then join as an officer, you get to jump quite a few rungs of the ladder that way


Issue is, to become an officer you need 5 GCSE’s and I’ll only have 3.
Reply 5
Original post by Eleanorrrrrrrr
I was part of the Naval Reserves and this was never an issue.


Different roles have different rules. Never apply broad strokes across the forces - it's always better to check than just assume you'll be fine.
Original post by Eleanorrrrrrrr
Issue is, to become an officer you need 5 GCSE’s and I’ll only have 3.


I admit I haven't done as much research as you (my dad went to uni and joined the raf as an officer, that's how I know) but I would assume that your gcses aren't going to be a problem if you have a degree?
Original post by Drewski
Different roles have different rules. Never apply broad strokes across the forces - it's always better to check than just assume you'll be fine.


That isn’t my issue at the moment anyway. It’s deciding what to do that is.
Original post by rinofthemill
I admit I haven't done as much research as you (my dad went to uni and joined the raf as an officer, that's how I know) but I would assume that your gcses aren't going to be a problem if you have a degree?


I assumed so myself too haha. I’ll need to make an appointment really to find out.
Original post by Anonymous
I am in a little bit of a dilemma. I applied for university a couple months back and have finally been accepted with the compromise I get my predicted grades such as my C in Maths and D*D*D in my Public Service course.

Prior to my course I lived in France so don’t have any GCSE’s apart from English hence why I’m retaking Maths. Anyway, I was hoping to be able to go to university whilst part of the RAF and get funded on the conditions I promise to join as soon as I’ve finished university, however apparently they don’t do this for the RAF only in the RN.

I’m now stuck as I was hoping to get my degree then join as a Police officer. Whilst uni would be paid or funded for I would also be able to continue driving lessons to past my test.
I’m now unsure whether to still go to university and study 3 years struggling to get everything done or join the RAF police and make my way up to officer to have a better understand of the role. I understand I may have to wait in the long run but in the meantime I’d work full time and pass my driving that way.

Any advice would be much appreciated, thanks in advance.


Wouldn’t you go in as an officer with a degree anyway? If you do ROTC at uni it’s an army thing it might help your RAF application.
Original post by Eleanorrrrrrrr
That isn’t my issue at the moment anyway. It’s deciding what to do that is.


That's fine, but it is relevant to the OP, which is why I said it, it's their thread after all.

Original post by rinofthemill
I admit I haven't done as much research as you (my dad went to uni and joined the raf as an officer, that's how I know) but I would assume that your gcses aren't going to be a problem if you have a degree?


It depends. Having a degree can counter not having some qualifications, but it depends a lot on the degree. Ie, not having a maths GCSE but having a science-based degree might be ok, but not having maths and having an English literature degree might not.

Only the careers line will be able to say, and even then, they might not be able to say immediately.
Best thing to do is to go to your local recruitment office, I did this when I had alot of questions and got them all answered when I went to the recruitment office. Only problem if you have lived abroad for a while it may effect whether your actually allowed to join or not. But the best thing to do is go to your local recruitment office.
The RAF does do some undergraduate sponsorship (search for 'raf undergraduate'), although closing dates are end of January.

I assume you're a UK national? Do you have any French school qualifications in place of GCSEs?

Have you been to an AFCO?
Original post by jonathanemptage
Wouldn’t you go in as an officer with a degree anyway? If you do ROTC at uni it’s an army thing it might help your RAF application.


UAS is the RAF equivalent.

(It's UOTC, ROTC is the American version)
Original post by Drewski
UAS is the RAF equivalent.

(It's UOTC, ROTC is the American version)

a guy i know who did it referred to it as ROTC but this was quite a long time ago.
Original post by jonathanemptage
a guy i know who did it referred to it as ROTC but this was quite a long time ago.


No-one in the UK calls it that, so unless he was American he was almost certainly saying 'our OTC'.
Original post by Duncan2012
No-one in the UK calls it that, so unless he was American he was almost certainly saying 'our OTC'.

I got the impression he lived in the USA for a bit so there is that.
I have already been accepted as part of this course and would be able to change it as I applied before knowing about the RAF police. If I do go I would be studying Physchology with criminology. I do have my English and am taking Maths this year. However none of my French qualifications are recognised in UK.
Reply 18
Original post by Anonymous
I am in a little bit of a dilemma. I applied for university a couple months back and have finally been accepted with the compromise I get my predicted grades such as my C in Maths and D*D*D in my Public Service course.

Prior to my course I lived in France so don’t have any GCSE’s apart from English hence why I’m retaking Maths. Anyway, I was hoping to be able to go to university whilst part of the RAF and get funded on the conditions I promise to join as soon as I’ve finished university, however apparently they don’t do this for the RAF only in the RN.

I’m now stuck as I was hoping to get my degree then join as a Police officer. Whilst uni would be paid or funded for I would also be able to continue driving lessons to past my test.
I’m now unsure whether to still go to university and study 3 years struggling to get everything done or join the RAF police and make my way up to officer to have a better understand of the role. I understand I may have to wait in the long run but in the meantime I’d work full time and pass my driving that way.

Any advice would be much appreciated, thanks in advance.


If I was you I'd visit the Local Armed forces recruitment branch or give them a call. They are very friendly and will help you ease your stress and figure what is best for you. Also Congratulations on your predicted grades I received a D*DD in Public services and now study Law! Must have been amazing living in France too, I visited Nice earlier this year. Just bare in mind officer training is much, much harder than regular recruits too.
Thank you so much! It’s nice to hear something lovely haha! Honestly I’m just wanting to earn money now and don’t know if I want to go through the stress of trying to afford uni and just scrapping by for another 3 year. Do you know whether or not you can then ask if you can go off for officer training once in after a couple of years? I’m just keen and eager for all this information. I think sometime this week I’ll be going to AFCO.

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