career fields, including trade school and the military. Many of these applicants are attempting to improve their academic standing and study habits. Applications for admissions are accepted year-round. New cadets are admitted in August and January of each year, beginning each academic semester. Mid-term admissions are considered and often accepted. All applicants are reviewed by the Admissions Office and approved by the Admissions Committee, composed of academic and military department representatives. Tuition The fees for the entire year are $24,645. This covers room, board, tuition, lab fees, haircuts, laundry, dry cleaning, and library fees. It does not cover the cost of uniforms or personal spending money. The uniforms cost for first-year cadets is $2,500.00, including sales tax. For returning students who have their uniforms, the uniform charge is $500. The $250 application fee is used for registration administration and is non-refundable. Early enrollment and returning student discounts are deductible from the room, board, and tuition fees. Students from Alabama are also eligible for a discount. The Academy accepts students on a year-round basis; however, a major enrollment period occurs in January. The fees for late-enrolling students are prorated based on the date of enrollment. Items not covered by tuition Many items are not covered by tuition, such as the Flight Program, the Scuba Program, Drone Program, Wielding Program, Beta Club field trips, and Canteen. Academics Southern Prep is on the Semester System (Block Schedule) with the student load for grades 9-12 consisting of eight courses per year. Class periods are 90 minutes long, which allows for more discussion, review, and classwork. This also allows the teacher to work with each student individually as needed. Students take final exams for their first four classes of the year before winter break and begin their following four classes in the second semester. In keeping with the requirements of the State of Alabama, students are required to have four years of English, Maths, History, and Science. Other courses are offered as electives. Qualified sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to take Advanced Placement and dual enrollment classes. A student can earn 6 to 8 credits per year. A student must have 24 credits to graduate. Junior High School (grades 6-8) is also on the Semester System. Courses are taken for the full school year and are split into 45-minute classes. The usual class load is seven classes. Cadet life Band(No longer active) The Southern