Military Affairs

UNC System Military Affairs

The University of North Carolina System is proud to support our military and is committed to the mission of educating members of the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans, and their families.

With nearly one million active, veteran, and reserve military members from the mountains to the coast, North Carolina has one of the nation’s largest military footprints and a defense sector that contributes $80 billion annually to the state.

The UNC System is committed to increasing enrollment, retention, graduation, and post-graduation success for all UNC System military-affiliated students. Together, we are working to grow North Carolina’s economy, support the missions of military base leaders, and ensure that all service members, veterans, and their families living in North Carolina have a high quality of life.

A valuable asset to OUR STATE AND SYSTEM

• Military students are high performers in the classroom, offering leadership and diversity of thought and experience to our universities.
• Military students often pursue and complete high-demand programs like STEM, business, and health.
• Many military students have the technical skills needed to fill critical workforce gaps in North Carolina like nursing, cyber defense, and IT.

our priorities

Through Systemwide programs, initiatives, and partnerships, the UNC System is committed to ensuring that we offer military supportive policies; flexible online degree programs; strong external partnerships with national and statewide stakeholders; and academic credit for military training.

Awarding Course Credit for Military Training and Experience

The UNC System has developed a Military Equivalency System (MES) to optimize the transfer of academic credit based on relevant military training and experience. Military course equivalencies in MES are based on American Council on Education (ACE) credit recommendations for military formal training and occupational experience and support a faculty-driven process for decisions regarding award of academic credit.

Reducing Barriers for Military-Affiliated Students

To help our military-affiliated students succeed, the UNC System has adopted policies to reduce barriers for students.  This includes waiving admission application fees for current and former service members, providing priority registration for students using VA educational benefits, and deferring admissions enrollment for qualifying students. Also, certain nonresident military students may be eligible for in-state tuition rates.

Green Zone Training

The Military Affairs team offers Green Zone Training to members of the UNC System community –and the public – who want to learn more about the military-affiliated student experience. The program trains faculty, staff, and community members to support service members, veterans, and their families as they transition to academic life. Upon completion of the 2-hour training, participants receive a UNC System Green Zone email signature icon.

Click the button below to register. For more information or to schedule a separate training session specifically for your institution, contact Bradley Wrenn.

Online Degree Programs

UNC System universities offer flexible learning options, with more than 450 online degree programs in high-demand fields, including:

Information for Prospective Military-Affiliated Students

The UNC System offers a variety of resources to support military student success. Each of North Carolina’s 16 public institutions hosts a website that is specifically tailored to serve military-affiliated current and prospective students. Get to know our UNC System institutions or visit our page for transfer students to learn more about how you can transfer to a UNC System institution from the military.

CURRENT PARTNERSHIPS

In an effort to support our military-affiliated students – and strengthen the state’s military economy – the UNC System is proud to serve as a partner with various local, state, and national partners. Below are a few of our military partnerships.

NC Military Affairs Commission

The UNC System’s partnership with the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission (NC MAC) — which advises the Governor, General Assembly, and state agencies on initiatives and legislation impacting NC’s military communities – aims to expand educational and workforce opportunities for military members and their family members and to grow the state’s defense economy.

Bunker Labs

The UNC System partnered with Bunker Labs to increase the number of businesses in North Carolina that are owned by veterans and military spouses.

Bunker Labs is a national nonprofit that helps grow military entrepreneurship. This partnership provides UNC System military-affiliated students with access to premier trainings, professional development, and networking opportunities to support their entrepreneurial goals.

XVIII Airborne Corps

The UNC System has an agreement with the XVIII Airborne Corps – the U.S. Army’s strategic global response force located at Ft. Bragg, NC – to increase education and research collaboration in areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and innovation relevant to national security.

Army Pathfinder Airborne

UNC System universities conduct applied research with active-duty soldiers in North Carolina to address real operational challenges. The Army Pathfinder Airborne program is a congressionally funded program at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) that supports rapid, soldier-led innovation with locally integrated teams of soldiers and university researchers.

contact us

If you would like to support one of these initiatives, or if you would like to establish a partnership with the UNC System Office, contact Kathie Sidner or Bradley Wrenn.