<p>Presidential nominations are UNLIMITED.</p>
<p>Typically, each academy receives about 400 - 500 applications from those who qualify for a Presidential nomination.</p>
<p>Each academy can select 100.</p>
<p>A child of a military person who has retired or is retirement eligible (either active or reserve) is definitely qualified for a Presidential nomination.
For a child of someone in the military who isn’t retired or retirement eligible, the rules to determine eligibility are more involved … but typically if the parent is still on active duty, then it is likely the child will be eligible. But each case should be compared to the rules.
Note that “parent” is original parent - even if divorced. Step parents don’t count (unless the step parent adopted the child …)</p>
<p>And the academies like the candidates to apply for Congressional Nominations as well, because it helps them maximize their ability to select top candidates. Imagine if you have a presidential (and you can’t “give it up”) nomination and your MOC is about to submit a list of individuals - none who would really be “desirable”. If you are also on that MOC list, then the admissions board can use the MOC nomination to bring you in, and save the presidential for someone else. The admissions board gets to choose!</p>