SOCAD
What is SOCAD?
SOCAD stands for “Servicemember Opportunity College- Army Degrees.” It consists
of a select group of about 122 of the more than 1,600 SOC colleges. They evaluate
your past learning experiences (college courses, tests, MOS’s, Army schools, etc.)
and provide you with a SOCAD Student Agreement that lists credits awarded and those
still needed to graduate. If you relocate and must complete your degree with courses
from other colleges, they guarantee to accept transfer courses from SOCAD colleges
without individual approval.
How do I begin a SOCAD degree?
After you take no more than six semester hours, SOCAD schools evaluate your learning
experiences and provide you with a degree plan called a SOCAD Student Agreement.
Why is the SOCAD Student Agreement important?
It gives you a comprehensive evaluation of everything you’ve done that can be credited
toward your college degree, and it lists what you must still take to graduate. You
will not have to be reevaluated each time you go to another post or college. Instead,
after you complete your residency (no more than 25 percent of the program) with
your home college (the one that issues your agreement), if you have to relocate,
future courses at other colleges can complete your original degree plan. Keep your
SOCAD Student Agreement and avoid taking unnecessary courses by referring to it
each time you register on campus, but from their offerings on base or elsewhere.
If possible, satisfy residency before you are reassigned, unless you know you will
return. If you find it impossible to complete residency, ask your counselor about
a learning assessment degree program that requires no residency or a distance learning
program that lets you satisfy residency through distance learning courses.
Note: A SOCAD Student Agreement or degree plan is required in order
to use online request for Tuition Assistance. Students must choose courses that
fit within the selected degree plan to qualify for Tuition Assistance. A SOCAD Student
Agreement will provide a comprehensive picture of courses required to complete a
degree to keep students on track.
How do I present my MOS experience and Army service school courses to a college
evaluator?
A document called the Army/American Council on Education Registry Transcript System
(AARTS) identifies learning acquired through military training and experience and
it presents it in a uniform format consistent with official college transcripts.
Your AARTS transcript also displays college-level credit recommendations developed
by the American Council on Education for each of those military experiences. Soldiers
and veterans can obtain a transcript without charge by completing a DA Form 5454R,
Request for Army/American Council on Education Transcript, at an Army Education
Center or by writing directly to: AARTS OperationsCenter, 415 McPherson Avenue,
Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027-1373. Detailed information on AARTS can be found on the
AARTS Home Page at: http://aarts.army.mil/
What if my school isn't a member of SOCAD?
A degree plan between you and your school must be in place before the completion
of 9 SH. The degree plan will identify all requirements of the degree. It will include
your name, social security number, and the name of your advisor.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS about SOCAD
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