We’re excited to share our partnership with Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) as it continues to lead the charge on creating educational opportunities that specifically cater to Special Operations Forces (SOF) veterans, spouses, and their family members.
The groundbreaking outcome of this partnership? SOF Members earn degrees faster by getting real credits for their training and service.
In a first-of-its-kind effort, IWU turns operators’ real-world experiences and rigorous training into transfer credits that can be applied towards a variety of degree paths. With an accelerated learning timeline and flexible, online classes, operators in IWU programs can reach their degree requirements in fewer semesters. IWU can help some SOF veterans earn a bachelor’s degree in under a year, preserving a veteran’s standard 36 months of GI Bill benefits for future educational pursuits. Additionally, deep tuition discounts exist for SOF and non-SOF service members and their spouses for both undergraduate and graduate degrees.
SOAA is not aware of any other institutions offering such a streamlined academic model specifically designed around the operational tempo and educational needs of special operations forces members and their families.
An active-duty Special Operations soldier (Green Beret) interviewed about the program noted, “Programs like this remove one of the biggest stressors during transition. Instead of starting from zero, I can translate my experience directly into a degree program that recognizes what I’ve already accomplished.”
One particular IWU offering, the bachelor’s degree in Global Security and Strategy Management, has been purpose-built to allow SOF veterans to transfer into IWU as college seniors. With their training and expertise counting towards three years of scholarship, SOF veterans need to take only ten additional classes to graduate and be well-prepared for careers in strategy management, intelligence, or security.
For SOF veterans who want to go further in their studies, IWU offers seamless bachelor’s and master’s pathways, including an MBA pipeline. This has the dual advantage of cutting down on the expense of schooling and time in the classroom, while also ensuring that veterans are ready to enter the civilian workforce.
Transitioning out of the military can be a difficult experience for all service members, but for SOF veterans, the sudden change in operational tempo and loss of community can be particularly difficult. Translating an operator’s expertise outside of the operational environment can also be an uphill battle. By not only recognizing SOF veterans for their unique service but also rewarding them for it, IWU can ease some of the burdens of transition and launch veterans towards a dynamic future.
Operators’ spouses can also take advantage of IWU’s expedited degree pathways, creating additional avenues for an entire family to advance into the next phases of their desired careers.
SOAA is proud to partner with IWU, a frontrunner in supporting the SOF community. We urge operators in the midst of transition to look to IWU’s course catalogue as they prepare for the next phase of post-service life.
One Green Beret we interviewed summarized the opportunity this way: “Don’t wait to start. If you have SOF experience, you may already be further along than you think. In less than a year, you could be finishing a bachelor’s degree that helps open new doors for your future– both in and out of uniform.”
