Program Eligibility: Sponsors must be at least 28 years old and live within 25 miles of the Coast Guard Academy in order to be considered (exceptions will be considered on a case by case basis). Active duty military must have a rank/rate of E-7 or O-3 and above.
Thank you for submitting your application to be part of the Sponsor Family Program. Your application will be processed in the upcoming week. Coast Guard Academy’s policy on background screening now requires all adults (everyone 18 and older living in the home) who volunteer to mentor, teach, coach or sponsor cadets, whether on or off Coast Guard Academy grounds, to be screened every 5 years. They are required to provide personal information (name, birth date and social security number) for the purpose of conducting a criminal background check.
The Security Officer at the Coast Guard Academy, CWO2 Gina Polkowski, is overseeing this process. Her email is: Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
Sponsor Family designations fall into several different categories. Below are the guidelines to help you determine how best to meet the background screening requirement:
After you complete your application, please e-mail the Sponsor Family Program Coordinator at CadetFamilySponsorProgram@uscga.edu. In your e-mail, you must include the e-mail address and phone number of every adult living in the home. The Sponsor Family Coordinator will then initiate the background check process and you will receive an email with further instructions.
Currently, we are anticipating that the Class of 2026 will be reporting to CGA in late June.
The plan for Swab Summer is very dynamic with there still being many unknowns due to COVID-19, as is the plan for the annual Sponsor Family Training. The Sponsor Family Training is a one-hour training which we ask sponsors to attend once every four years. This training is designed to give you an overview of the program, what is expected of you as a sponsor, and what you can expect from your cadets. This training will also help familiarize you with the cadet regulations onboard CGA. You will be notified via e-mail once the training is scheduled, and whether it will be held virtually or in-person.
The matching process of swabs to families will occur during July and August, and members of the Class of 2026 will likely not meet their Sponsor Families until after school starts. Please bear with us and remain flexible. More information will follow, as it becomes available.