How UOPX helps support military students

Navy veteran Paul Flores doesn’t want to see active-duty military personnel make the same mistake he did and wait to earn a college degree until after they complete their military service.

Flores, now the program manager of military outreach for University of Phoenix, did go on to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees after his service with the Navy. “But I did it the hard way,” he says. If he had a do-over, he says he would go to college while in the service so he could better prepare to enter the workforce upon military retirement.

University of Phoenix, which offers one 5-week course at a time for undergraduate students (6 weeks for graduate students), may be a good fit for veterans and service members seeking accessible, career-relevant education in a flexible format.

In other words, here’s how UOPX helps to support military service members, veterans and spouses interested in pursuing their degrees.

Sometimes, affordability means reduced tuition rates. At University of Phoenix, eligible active-duty military students enrolled in bachelor’s, associate or certificate programs pay a reduced military tuition rate of $250 per credit. This amounts to $444 less in tuition per three-hour course than the standard tuition rate.

UOPX also waives resource fees for qualifying service members who are undergraduate students using federal tuition assistance. This can help reduce out-of-pocket costs.

Other, more traditional options include scholarships tailored to military students. These can look different depending on the institution. In 2025, for instance UOPX offered three full-tuition scholarships  in collaboration with the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) and one full-tuition scholarship  in collaboration with the Non Commissioned Officers Association. These scholarships exemplify the University’s commitment to military students.

For Air Force service members, University of Phoenix also offers General Education Mobile , or GEM, courses. These CCAF-approved courses help fulfill general education requirements with future transferability into UOPX for a degree program. Courses start frequently and give you the ability to learn when and where you want.

One challenge many service members face is translating their experiences  into civilian jargon. When you call and say you just got PCS’d but you TDY’d for a while, it helps to not have to explain what that means. (For the uninitiated, the translation is that a service member received a Permanent Change of Station after being Temporary Duty for a season.)

But understanding the terminology is only part of the value. Having advisors and instructors who know how to navigate options — for tuition, for classes, for breaks, for degree programs — can save service members time and frustration.

University of Phoenix embraces this fact. It has more than 300 faculty and staff with military backgrounds, and they have an average of 10 years working at the University. Additionally, this staff (e.g., enrollment, financial and academic advisors) is specifically trained by University of Phoenix to support military students.

“We know the abbreviations, background and lifestyle. We have an immediate camaraderie that helps us get to know our students,” Scrivener says. It also helps when these staff members understand the financial options, the particulars of the GI Bill, and nuances of the military branches.

All University of Phoenix students, whether military or civilian, can benefit from the flexibility to balance their family, work, school and life. But military families rely on flexibility to accomplish both their military and education missions. If, for example, orders or deployment require a move across the world, military students can pause their school experience in between classes as they adjust to new duty assignments or locations.