• Frequently Asked Questions

  FAQs for CCI 371.02, “JRCOSTEP”

  What is JRCOSTEP?

  JRCOSTEP is the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps’ Junior Commissioned Officer Student Training and Extern Program. JRCOSTEP provides full-time college students with an opportunity to: become acquainted with the organization and mission of the USPHS Commissioned Corps, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Operating Divisions (OPDIVs), the programs and agencies to which Public Health Service (PHS) officers are assigned, and the career opportunities the USPHS Commissioned Corps offers in health-related professions. The program enables college students to gain experience and training in a professional environment while furthering their professional education.

  Who can apply to JRCOSTEP?

  Applicants must be U.S. citizens under age 43½ at the expected date of graduation, with no more than eight years of active duty service in a uniformed service (other than the USPHS Commissioned Corps). Applicants must have completed or be in the process of completing the first year of graduate study or the second year of undergraduate study in a specified USPHS Commissioned Corps field. Within three months after the date of completion of the JRCOSTEP assignment, be scheduled to: return to college or university as a full-time student; or enter a postgraduate degree program, the completion of which would satisfy the educational requirements for an unrestricted appointment in the USPHS Commissioned Corps. They also need a recommendation from a dean, faculty advisor, or department head at their college. They must be free of any obligation that would conflict with active duty service in the Corps after graduation and must meet the appropriate appointment standards for extended active duty in the USPHS Commissioned Corps except for those that do not apply to current students. Despite the program’s name, applicants do not have to be juniors in college to apply.

  What do JRCOSTEP officers do?

  JRCOSTEP enables students to participate in the USPHS Commissioned Corps’ active duty assignments while still enrolled in college or university. CCHQ will commission JRCOSTEP officers in the Ready Reserve Corps as Junior Assistant Health Services Officers and called to active duty for training assignments during periods when they are out of school under their school’s schedule. These assignments will last for at least 31 consecutive days, but no longer than 120 consecutive days in any fiscal year.

  What are the responsibilities of JRCOSTEP officers? Do they have to join the USPHS Commissioned Corps when they graduate?

  Serving as a JRCOSTEP officer does not impose any requirement to join the USPHS Commissioned Corps or the Public Health Service after graduation. For officers who do join, their COSTEP service will count toward their time in service, which affects pay and promotion rates.

  JRCOSTEP Officers must:

  1. Complete the forms in the Welcome Package including W-4 and Notice of Arrival;
  2. Take an online training program developed by the Director, CCHQ, or his/her designee, and score at the passing level as defined by criteria set by the Director, CCHQ or his/her designee. If the student cannot score at the passing level, he or she must retake the course until he/she does;
  3. Respond to the Call to Active Duty personnel order, report to their assigned duty station as ordered, and fulfill their tour of duty;
  4. Achieve and maintain the desired level of performance, and abide by the mission and values of the USPHS Commissioned Corps; and
  5. Follow the USPHS Commissioned Corps’ requirements regarding their personal conduct and obligations. (See CCI 211.01, “Standards of Conduct.”)

  What benefits do JRCOSTEP officers receive?

  Through the COSTEP program, students gain valuable professional experience while being paid for their work in health-related internships. The Corps grants JRCOSTEP on active duty some, but not all, of the rights, benefits, and privileges given to Corps officers serving on extended active duty. The USPHS Commissioned Corps appoints JRCOSTEP participants as ensigns with a base pay grade of O-1 (or O-1E if they have prior active duty enlisted uniformed service of at least four years and a day) in the Ready Reserve with full pay and allowances for this grade while on active duty. They also receive Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) based on their duty station while serving on active duty, Basic Allowance for Subsistence (meant to pay for food) of an O-1 grade officer, Base/Post exchange and commissary privileges, sick and annual leave, health care benefits, and some travel and transportation entitlements. However, JRCOSTEP officers have no disability retirement or severance pay coverage

  The USPHS Commissioned Corps does not pay JRCOSTEP officers nor provide them with any benefits when they not on an assignment.

  How do the USPHS Commissioned Corps select JRCOSTEP officers?

  The USPHS Commissioned Corps will select students for JRCOSTEP assignments through a competitive selection process based on transcripts, GPA, résumé, references, security screening, and a medical check as well as the anticipated staffing needs of the USPHS Commissioned Corps. Selections and timeframes are at the discretion of the Director, CCHQ.

  What role do Agencies and programs play in the selection of JRCOSTEP officers?

  Once CCHQ has completed its preliminary screening, it will provide Agencies and programs up to one week to review candidates and make their selections. The applications will then remain open for three weeks for Agencies and programs to submit the Request for Personnel Action (Form PHS-1662) to the USPHS Commissioned Corps (See Section 8-2). After this one-month review period, CCHQ will close all non-selected applications for that specific cycle.  The selecting OPDIV or program will notify the chosen student(s), as well as CCHQ, of their selection(s) within five workdays. CCHQ will notify the applicants who were not selected or ineligible for the JRCOSTEP program.

  What must Agencies and programs do?

  To participate in the JRCOSTEP program, the OPDIV, Agency or program to which a JRCOSTEP officer is assigned, must commit the required funding for a full-time equivalent (FTE) position for the length of the active duty period; make available all necessary funds for the pay and allowances, uniform (if required), travel, transportation, and any training expenses of the officer, including Temporary Duty (TDY) expenses, if appropriate; and make the request for a JRCOSTEP and submit any documents that are required by the SG in a POM (e.g., forms, statement of duties, etc.).

  What is the advantage of having a COSTEP officer for Agencies and programs?

  COSTEP officers are O-1 ensigns with at least some college training in a high-need area. They can serve as the equivalent of college interns freeing up some of your staff for more complex tasks. The COSTEP program also offers Agencies and programs a way to recruit the next generation of doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses etc.

  What happens when the JRCOSTEP officer has finished the assignment?

  The USPHS Commissioned Corps will terminate the commissions of all JRCOSTEP officers at the end of each active duty tour. However, those students who still meet eligibility requirements can reapply to JRCOSTEP or apply to SRCOSTEP at a future opening as determined by the Director, CCHQ. The USPHS Commissioned Corps will retain the files of JRCOSTEP officers for two years in case they apply again to JRCOSTEP, apply to SRCOSTEP, or wish to apply for General Duty commissions once they obtain their qualifying degree and their category is open for applications

  Will a JRCOSTEP officer automatically transition to a SRCOSTEP status when his/her time with JRCOSTEP is over?

  No, JRCOSTEP is completely separate from SRCOSTEP. The student would have to reapply for SRCOSTEP or JRCOSTEP for a second year.

  How do students apply to JRCOSTEP?

  Applicants must go online to the AES for online pre-screening. If the student passes this pre-screening, he or she then fills out the electronic application forms, including Form PHS-50, “Application for Appointment as a Commissioned Officer,” and uploads any additional required documents. Commissioned Corps Headquarters (CCHQ) will review the uploaded documents and application and transfer them to the Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

  Once an OPDIV/Program/Agency has tentatively selected a student to participate in either JRCOSTEP or SRCOSTEP, the candidate must submit all required materials, including official sealed transcripts from the program in which he/she is currently enrolled, by the end of the appropriate date window. However, CCHQ will require the applicant to submit the next semester’s updated official sealed transcript when available.

  For JRCOSTEP only, the student must include the specific inclusive dates that he/she expects to be available for active duty on the application or on the request for additional JRCOSTEP assignments.

  What are the academic requirements for JRCOSTEP?

  Minimum Grade Point Average: The minimum acceptable cumulative grade point average (GPA) is 2.8 on a 4.0 grading scale in the courses toward the candidate’s qualifying degree (without rounding). The SG or his/her designee can make a determination for other grading scales.

  What screening must COSTEP officers undergo?

  Medical Review: The COSTEP officer must have his/her A “Report of Medical History” (DD-2807) completed by a licensed Physician or licensed mid-level provider (i.e. Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant) along with the “Instructions for Completion of DD Form 2807” with each tour of duty. Medical Affairs Branch may request additional information needed for the medical review.

  Security Check: A minimum investigation check includes, but is not limited to, a favorable Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Central Verification System (CVS) check, a Federal Bureau of Investigation fingerprint check using an OPM Special Agreement Check, and a favorable review of the candidate’s Declaration for Federal Employment Form (OF 306). The Corps requires this check in order for students to participate in JRCOSTEP. The Director, CCHQ or designee may request any additional information needed for security review.

  Last Updated: 2/28/22
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