Off topic but a couple of clarifications.
The "Military" Academy is in West Point NY and is the Academy for the US Army.
These students were at the Air Force Academy Prep School which is not the Air Force Academy but is a feeder school to USAFA.
Students in their last two years at any of the Service Academies have incurred a commitment to their respective armed forces and DO NOT have the option to pay back their education and leave.
Students in their first two years at the Academy or during their year at the Preparatory School can Drop-On-Request (DOR) without paying for the education they had received.  But even in those cases they have to be processed out.  They can't just walk out the door.
Many of the students at the Preparatory School have come from active duty as an enlisted person.  For those individuals if they quit they usually still have an outstanding commitment and will typically be returned to the enlisted ranks to serve out the rest of their time.