By Cherie Suonvieri '15, content specialist
September 17, 2020 | 8 a.m.
John Morris, executive director of Bethel’s Office of Military and Veteran Services, greeted military-affiliated students during Welcome Week 2020. Military and Veteran Services offers accessible resources to ensure the success of military members in the Bethel community, and forging the partnership with the Naval Community College was just one of its most recent steps.
Students of the new United States Naval Community College, set to launch in January 2021, will now be able to seamlessly complete their bachelor’s degrees through Bethel’s College of Adult & Professional Studies. This degree articulation agreement is the most recent step Bethel has taken to serve military-affiliated students, and allows for sailors and Marines to roll their credits into Bethel’s B.S. in Business Management or B.A. in Organizational Leadership program.
“The Navy is trying to educate sailors for the 21st century,” says John Morris, Bethel’s executive director of Military and Veteran Services. “They know the value of education.” When a sailor or Marine enlists in the military, they’ll be automatically enrolled in the Naval Community College. Students will receive college credit for their military training, and they’ll be able to transfer those credits to a curated list of community and four-year colleges.
As required by the Naval Community College, the Bethel programs available to sailors and Marines are completely online, which is key in bringing high-quality education to military personnel who are serving across the globe. “It’s a high caliber education, taught by great professors. High graduation rate. There’s plenty of support to ensure students can walk through any of the challenges they face,” Morris says. “Quality, quality, quality. Those are the three words I’d use to summarize it. We’re not offering throwaway paper mill degrees.”
This partnership with a military community college isn’t entirely new for Bethel. The College of Adult & Professional Studies offers a B.A. in Psychology through a similar partnership with the Community College of the Air Force. And according to Morris, he’s hopeful that Bethel will be selected for more opportunities like this down the road.
"With Bethel's commitment to serving military students and the leadership of John Morris, we have made strides forward in attracting and retaining military-affiliated students," says Kate Gunderson, director of admissions for the College of Adult & Professional Studies. "We hope to see continued growth in the coming years as we partner with the Naval Community College."
Bethel recently made the 2020-21 Military Friendly Schools list and is a 2020-21 member of the Council of College and Military Educators. To learn more about Bethel’s dedication to military-affiliated students, visit our Office of Military and Veteran Services.
Bethel’s College of Adult & Professional Studies offers a special military tuition rate of $250 per credit to currently-serving military members for select programs. That rate matches the Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) offered by the Department of Defense, ensuring that those who are serving can receive an affordable education.
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