Abraham Lincoln University has always sought to serve veteran students and active military populations that are typically under-served by traditional institutions and brick-and-mortar universities.

The needs of active-military and veteran students are a top priority for ALU. That’s why we’re so proud to say this priority was recognized and that we were listed as one of the Military-Friendly Schools of 2016.

Choosing a school and following through with a degree is a huge decision. Financial concerns and scheduling anxieties are bound to arise for military students, as well as those larger-order questions of belonging and purpose. For working adults and veterans alike, it’s common to feel nervous or isolated when first returning to school after years of service or being on the job market. It is a transition that ALU addresses head on through our student services and online platforms.

There is often a misconception about online schools. Distance learning in no way means that there is less of a connection between students, their faculty, and their cohort. ALU makes every effort to ensure that students feel a sense of belonging and community. Faculty is available at any time and return emails within a day. Our discussion boards and chat sessions often result in more students asking questions than in a traditional classroom. (This is especially true for students who feel less comfortable raising their hand and speaking in front of a huge lecture hall.) We encourage open dialogue and channels of communication between students and faculty. If any concerns arise, we want to know about them.

Academics and the real-world are not mutually exclusive. Our military students prove this over and over again. They bring something unique to the table (or desk), including their familiarity with other cultures, discipline, and composure when meeting deadlines. The real-world experience acquired in training and during service is a huge asset in their studies, and our courses are in turn an asset in real world career paths. We love to find new ways to disrupt the misconception about the real-world vs. academia and to facilitate the ways in which these arenas meet and serve the other.

One actionable way ALU applies our priority to serve military members in a practical way is our generous policy regarding transfer credits for military training. ACE accreditation calculates how many credit hours training should be worth and ALU takes those numbers very seriously. ALU also offers zero fees for text books for military students.

We also ensure that our online programs are conducive to active-duty students as well as other working adult learners. Class schedules are flexible and you can watch and re-watch archived, live class lectures at any time. The number of classes per quarter can vary from one to three depending on a student’s schedule. For time-off, as long as you request dates ahead of time and provide an official reason (i.e. recently, we had one student take a brief leave of absence for a week-long field op), ALU can accommodate.

The online platform also allows you to create the educational atmosphere that suits your personality—if you work well with other students, it’s possible to start military- or other niche-study-groups; if you work best on your own, these programs are conducive to that as well.

Thanks to all our military students and to our community at large!