Excess Leave Program (ELP) for Law School

Air Force Reserve: Active Duty

Benefit Fact Sheet

Summary

The Excess Leave Program (ELP) provides active-duty Department of the Air Force and U.S. Space Force officers another avenue to attend law school. Through the ELP, officers are responsible for all application expenses, tuition, and fees, and they do not receive pay or allowances. However, officers participating in the ELP continue to accrue time for promotion and retirement purposes and remain eligible for other active duty benefits (i.e. medical). Enlisted members are not eligible for the ELP. The active duty service commitment (ADSC) for the ELP is four years active duty and four years inactive reserve.

Eligibility

Air Force Reserve Service members on active duty are not eligible for the Excess Leave Program.

Additional Information

Department of Air Force Instructions 51-101
https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_ja/publication/dafi51-101/dafi51-101.pdf

The Judge Advocate General’s Corps
https://www.afjag.af.mil

U.S. Air Force Careers
https://www.airforce.com/careers/specialty-careers/jag

Air Force Institute of Technology
https://www.afit.edu/CIP/page.cfm?page=1638

U.S. Air Force Academy Education and Leave Programs
https://www.usafa.edu/education-leave-programs/

Document Review Date: 07 July 2025