1. (a) The number of cadets appointed annually to the Academy shall be as determined by the Secretary but the number appointed in any one year shall not exceed six hundred. Appointments to cadetships shall be made under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, who shall determine age limits, methods of selection of applicants, term of service as a cadet before graduation, and all other matters affecting such appointments. In the administration of this chapter, the Secretary shall take such action as may be necessary and appropriate to insure that female individuals shall be eligible for appointment and admission to the Coast Guard Academy, and that the relevant standards required for appointment, admission, training, graduation, and commissioning of female individuals shall be the same as those required for male individuals, except for those minimum essential adjustments in such standards required because of physiological differences between male and female individuals. The Secretary may summarily dismiss from the Coast Guard any cadet who, during his cadetship, is found unsatisfactory in either studies or conduct, or may be deemed not adapted for a career in the Coast Guard. Cadets shall be subject to rules governing discipline prescribed by the Commandant.

2. (b) Each cadet shall sign an agreement with respect to the cadet’s length of service in the Coast Guard. The agreement shall provide that the cadet agrees to the following:

   1. (1) That the cadet will complete the course of instruction at the Coast Guard Academy.

   2. (2) That upon graduation from the Coast Guard Academy the cadet—

      1. (A) will accept an appointment, if tendered, as a commissioned officer of the Coast Guard; and
      2. (B) will serve on active duty for at least five years immediately after such appointment.

   3. (3) That if an appointment described in paragraph (2) is not tendered or if the cadet is permitted to resign as a regular officer before the completion of the commissioned service obligation of the cadet, the cadet—

      1. (A) will accept an appointment as a commissioned officer in the Coast Guard Reserve; and
      2. (B) will remain in that reserve component until completion of the commissioned service obligation of the cadet.

3. (c)

   1. (1) The Secretary may transfer to the Coast Guard Reserve, and may order to active duty for such period of time as the Secretary prescribes (but not to exceed four years), a cadet who breaches an agreement under subsection (b). The period of time for which a cadet is ordered to active duty under this paragraph may be determined without regard to section 651(a) of title 10.
   2. (2) A cadet who is transferred to the Coast Guard Reserve under paragraph (1) shall be transferred in an appropriate enlisted grade or rating, as determined by the Secretary.
   3. (3) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a cadet shall be considered to have breached an agreement under subsection (b) if the cadet is separated from the Coast Guard Academy under circumstances which the Secretary determines constitute a breach by the cadet of the cadet’s agreement to complete the course of instruction at the Coast Guard Academy and accept an appointment as a commissioned officer upon graduation from the Coast Guard Academy.

4. (d) The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section. Those regulations shall include—

   1. (1) standards for determining what constitutes, for the purpose of subsection (c), a breach of an agreement under subsection (b);
   2. (2) procedures for determining whether such a breach has occurred; and
   3. (3) standards for determining the period of time for which a person may be ordered to serve on active duty under subsection (c).
5. (e) In this section, “commissioned service obligation”, with respect to an officer who is a graduate of the Academy, means the period beginning on the date of the officer’s appointment as a commissioned officer and ending on the sixth anniversary of such appointment or, at the discretion of the Secretary, any later date up to the eighth anniversary of such appointment.

6. (f)

   1. (1) This section does not apply to a cadet who is not a citizen or national of the United States.
   2. (2) In the case of a cadet who is a minor and who has parents or a guardian, the cadet may sign the agreement required by subsection (b) only with the consent of the parent or guardian.
7. (g) A cadet or former cadet who does not fulfill the terms of the obligation to serve as specified under section (b), or the alternative obligation imposed under subsection (c), shall be subject to the repayment provisions of section 303a(e) of title 37.

(Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 508; Pub. L. 88–276, § 5(b), Mar. 3, 1964, 78 Stat. 153; Pub. L. 89–444, § 1(8), June 9, 1966, 80 Stat. 195; Pub. L. 91–278, § 1(4), June 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 304; Pub. L. 94–572, § 1, Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2708; Pub. L. 97–295, § 2(8), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1302; Pub. L. 100–448, § 12, Sept. 28, 1988, 102 Stat. 1843; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title VI, § 687(d), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3336; Pub. L. 111–281, title IX, § 903(b)(4), Oct. 15, 2010, 124 Stat. 3011.)

Historical and Revision Notes Based on the proviso under the heading “Revenue Cutter Service” of act Feb. 25, 1903, ch. 755, 32 Stat. 869, and on title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., §§ 15, 15a–1, 25 (June 23, 1906, ch. 3520, § 2, 34 Stat. 452; Jan. 28, 1915, ch. 20, § 1, 38 Stat. 800; July 3, 1926, ch. 742, § 6, 44 Stat. 816; July 30, 1937, ch. 545, § 5, 50 Stat. 549; May 25, 1943, ch. 99, 57 Stat. 84).

Section 15 of title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., has been divided. That part dealing with clothing allowance for cadets is placed in section 183 of this title and the other parts are incorporated with the proviso of title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 15a–1 to form this section.

Section 15a–1 of title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., has been divided. That part dealing with the appointment of cadets to the grade of ensign is placed in section 185 of this title, and the proviso is placed in this section.

The length of term of service as a cadet prior to graduation is added to the list of matters specifically determined by the Secretary.

The period of required service after graduation is increased from 3 to 4 years, to attain uniformity with the other service academies. 81st Congress, House Report No. 557.

Amendments 2010—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–281 struck out “All such appointments shall be made without regard to the sex, race, color, or religious beliefs of an applicant.” before “In the administration”.

2006—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 109–163 added subsec. (g).

1988—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–448, § 12(1), struck out before last sentence “Previous to his admission each cadet shall obligate himself, in such manner as the Secretary shall prescribe, to complete the course of instruction at the Coast Guard Academy and to serve at least five years as an officer in the Coast Guard after graduation, if his service be so long required.”

Subsecs. (b) to (f). Pub. L. 100–448, § 12(2), added subsecs. (b) to (f) and struck out former subsec. (b) which read as follows: “A cadet who does not fulfill his obligation to complete the course of instruction or refuses to accept an appointment as an officer in the Coast Guard may be transferred by the Secretary to the Coast Guard Reserve in an appropriate enlisted grade or rating, and, notwithstanding section 651 of title 10, may be ordered to active duty to serve in that grade or rating for such period of time as the Secretary prescribes, but not for more than four years.”

1982—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 97–295 struck out “United States Code,” after “title 10,”.

1976—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–572 inserted provisions for nondiscriminatory appointment of cadets to the Coast Guard Academy.

1970—Pub. L. 91–278 substituted “six hundred” for “four hundred” in first sentence, required each cadet to obligate himself to complete the course of instruction at the Academy, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), and added subsec. (b).

1966—Pub. L. 89–444 substituted “four hundred” for “three hundred” in first sentence.

1964—Pub. L. 88–276 substituted “five” for “four” in fourth sentence.

Effective Date of 1964 Amendment; Obligated Period of Service Amendment by Pub. L. 88–276 effective only with respect to cadets and midshipmen appointed to the service academies and the Coast Guard Academy after Mar. 3, 1964, see section 5(c) of Pub. L. 88–276, set out as a note under section 4348 of Title 10, Armed Forces.

Savings Provision For savings provision relating to payment or repayment of any bonus, incentive pay, special pay, or similar pay obligated to be paid before Apr. 1, 2006, under a provision of this section amended by section 687(d) of Pub. L. 109–163, see section 687(f) of Pub. L. 109–163, set out as a note under section 510 of Title 10, Armed Forces.