May is Military Appreciation Month, and University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) is proud to support our military-affiliated students from enrollment, throughout their education journey, and for a lifetime. Whether a student is choosing a college after the military or during their military service, it’s important to find an institution that understands their life experiences and everything they bring to the table as a military-affiliated student. UMGC has provided higher education to the military since the 1940s and was the first university to send faculty overseas to educate active-duty military personnel in Europe. Today, UMGC maintains its commitment to military servicemembers and veterans by offering a variety of resources and education benefits.
Save on Tuition as a Member of the Military
At UMGC, military-affiliated members can take advantage of many opportunities to make their education affordable through tuition assistance and financial aid. We offer active-duty military servicemembers and eligible dependents a reduced tuition rate for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Our advisors are also able to help military-affiliated students use their VA benefits to pay for college as well.
UMGC offers several scholarship programs specifically for military-affiliated students. Some of our scholarships include the UMGC-NMFA Scholarship for military spouses, the Veterans Assistance Fund, Student Veteran of the Year, and Veterans Initiatives Office Scholarships. The Pillars of Strength scholarship program supports caregivers of recovering servicemembers and veterans and aims to honor the selflessness and extraordinary commitment of these caregivers.
“The Pillars of Strength Scholarship is critical. I couldn't go back to school without it, and it means so much to me,” said Connie Ozmer, a student at UMGC who was a caregiver to her husband when he became injured in the military. “I'm so humbled and I hope to give back someday too when I can, because it is such a gift.”
To help military students earn their degrees faster, UMGC offers opportunities to get credit for military education and training. We grant credit for study completed in service schools and in Military Occupational Specialties based on recommendations made by the American Council on Education Military Guide.
Earn Your Education Anywhere, Anytime
At UMGC, students can complete a degree or certificate entirely online. Plus, we offer more than 175 classroom and service locations around the world.
“You can be deployed at a moment’s notice,” said Serita Cotton, a former military student who earned her master’s degree in cybersecurity management and policy from UMGC. “UMGC caters to the military and our unique circumstances.”
Our dedicated Europe and Asia divisions ensure students can continue their education abroad.
“We’re overseas, so a student has the ability to start with us in Asia, transfer to Europe, go stateside, and come back and see us in Asia,” said Amanda Maguire, associate vice president and director of the UMGC Asia division.
In addition to entirely online programs, we also offer hybrid classes at many military bases, which can provide a way for veterans to maximize their housing allowance.
Access Advising and Career Support for Life
When students apply to UMGC, they connect with an academic advisor to help them get started and plan their education. Military-affiliated students are served by the military advising team, which is filled with staff who understand their unique needs. Students can either meet with their military advisor virtually or in person.
Once they become students, veterans, servicemembers, and their families have access to the One2One Mentorship Program, which provides a peer support system. They can also access the Vessey Virtual Student Union, a networking tool designed exclusively for the UMGC military and veteran community. Military students can also join the SALUTE National Honor Society, which recognizes academic success among student veterans.
Students often have other military-affiliated students in their classes as well.
“One of the things that UMGC does well in having such a large military population is ensuring that military students and our veterans are actually in classes with people who have a lot of the same shared experiences,” said Jackie Goebeler, director of training in stateside military operations at UMGC.
UMGC offers lifetime career services to students and graduates at no additional cost. These include professional development tools, resume help, access to job fairs, and more.
“I love our career resources that UMGC provides for our students,” says Joni Gonzalez, assistant director of stateside military operations at UMGC. “From writing resumes, to helping them with interviews, those kinds of things always excite me.”
Why Military Families Choose UMGC
Whether students are servicemembers, veterans, or family members, many choose UMGC for a career-focused online education at a military-trusted university. In 2022, Military Times ranked UMGC as number one for “Best for Vets” in primarily online education. The university has also received national acclaim as a top military- and veteran-trusted university.
“What UMGC has done over the past 75 years is earn people’s trust,” says Keith Hauk, associate vice president and deputy director of UMGC stateside military operations. “We have so many staff members that have walked the same journey of being in the military, so they understand where our students are coming from.”
More than 53,000 servicemembers, veterans, and military spouses currently place that trust in UMGC.
“UMGC has been very flexible, and it’s made it really easy for me as a student here,” said Devon Nieve, a former military student who earned his master’s degree in intelligence management and was named UMGC’s student veteran of the year in 2021.
At UMGC, we appreciate our military not only in the month of May, but every single day. We thank them for their service and look forward to continuing to serve them for years to come.
The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) or Military-themed visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Reference on this webpage to any third-party entity or product does not constitute or imply endorsement by UMGC nor does it constitute or imply endorsement of UMGC by the third party.
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