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Military Friendly

Veterans, Military, and Families

As one of the premier military friendly Colleges in New York State, SUNY Canton offers many excellent opportunities for soldiers, veterans, and their families.

Military personnel are attracted to the College’s career-driven bachelor’s or associate degrees, as well as specialized programs offered through the Center for Lifelong Learning.

Military Student

SUNY Canton’s programs are offered in a variety of flexible formats to accommodate almost anyone’s schedule, including online courses through SUNY Canton OnLine. Military personnel have enrolled from all over the world, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

Academic Credit for Military Experience and Prior Education

  • Service members may be eligible to receive college credits for military learning experiences based on an approved list of course equivalencies from the American Council on Education.

Other possibilities include:

  • Prior college credit transfer equivalencies
  • CLEP and credit by SUNY Canton Proficiency Exams
  • Prior Learning/Life Experience Credit

For more information regarding life experience credit, please contact SUNY Canton Office of Admissions. 315-386-7123, parkerb@canton.edu.
SUNY Canton Veterans Association

The college also has a Veterans Association to connect students and alumni who serve or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. This group is open to veterans from all generations and branches of service and is open to community members. For more information, contact Robert Edwards, edwardsr@canton.edu.


Military Programs

Servicemembers Opportunity College (SOC)

SUNY Canton is a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) and Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Associate Degree (SOCAD) program. The college is part of a consortium of national higher education institutions which function in cooperation with the Department of Defense, the Military Services and the Coast Guard to help meet the voluntary higher education needs of servicemembers and their dependents. The following curricula are eligible for SOCAD participation: Automotive Technology, Construction Engineering Technology, Air Conditioning Engineering Technology, and Electrical Engineering Technology-Electronics.

Concurrent Admissions Program (CON AP)

The Concurrent Admissions Program (CON AP) is conducted by colleges and universities that are members of Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC). Concurrent with their enlistment in the Army, new soldiers are encouraged to apply for admission to SUNY Canton. Upon meeting satisfactory criteria for full or provisional admission, the soldier will be allowed to defer admission until completion of military service.

After completing a two-, three-, or four-year enlistment, the new veteran will be encouraged to enroll at SUNY Canton. This program also applies to soldiers enlisting in the Army Reserve.

Those interested in the CON AP program are encouraged to contact the SUNY Canton Office of Admission.

Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC)

Aerospace Studies

The Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) at Clarkson University, Potsdam, is an educational program designed to provide a college student with the opportunity to become an Air Force commissioned officer while completing requirements for an undergraduate or graduate degree. A four-year or two-year program is available to students. Scholarship can be offered for two, three or four years of duration. A student may enroll in aerospace studies courses in the same manner as for other college courses. For more information, call 315-268-7989.

The Four-Year Program

The more popular and preferred program is the traditional four-year program. An interested freshman registers for aerospace studies in the fall term of freshman year. While the program is designed towards completion in four years, it can be compressed into three years, and scholarships can be offered for that period. There is no military obligation for the first two years of AFROTC unless the student has an AFROTC scholarship. After completion of the first two years, known as the general military course, the student may compete for the professional officer course (POC) during the last two years of AFROTC. If accepted, the student attends a four-week field training encampment during the summer between the sophomore and junior years before entering the POC. Cadets in the POC currently receive a nontaxable subsistence allowance of $100 each academic month.

The Two-Year Program

The AFROTC two-year program is devised to accommodate transfers from regional campuses, junior colleges or colleges and universities that do not offer AFROTC, and those who did not take the first two years of AFROTC. To be eligible the student must have at least two academic years remaining either at the undergraduate or graduate level or a combination of the two. If accepted, the student attends a six-week field training encampment the summer prior to entry into the POC. Application for the two-year program should be made in writing or by a personal visit to the professor of aerospace studies early in the sophomore year.

Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (AROTC)

Military Science

The Clarkson University Army Reserve Officers Training Corps (AROTC) is available to SUNY Canton students through cross-registration and teaches military subjects, physical conditioning and leadership skills. The goal of the department is to develop individual leadership and managerial ability while preparing young adults to become leaders in the U.S. Army. An active extracurricular program provides many opportunities to participate in helicopter rappelling, cross-country and downhill skiing and various field leadership exercises. Qualified students have an opportunity to attend the Army Airborne School, Air Assault School or the Northern Warfare Training Course. AROTC allows students maximum flexibility to include ROTC in their various course of study. Enrollment is voluntary.

Basic Course
(Freshman and Sophomore Years)

The Basic Course provides students with sufficient military background to make informed decisions about participation in the AROTC Advanced Course and pursuit of a military commission. Non-scholarship students in the Basic Course incur no military obligation and can withdraw at any time.

Veterans

The ROTC course is normally a prerequisite for the Advanced Course; however, prior service personnel or members of the Reserve Forces who have completed basic training may enroll in the Advanced Course as juniors as long as they have achieved junior status.

Basic Camp

Other interested students may qualify for advanced ROTC by attending a six-week Basic Camp. At Basic Camp students earn over $750, plus room and board. Students applying through this route normally attend Basic Camp between the sophomore and junior years. This program is available to students who have at least two academic years remaining in their degree program.

Advanced Course
(Junior and Senior Years)

The Advanced Course places increased emphasis on tactical, technical and leadership skills to prepare students for position of responsibility at a six-week Advance Training Camp, normally held the summer between the junior and senior years, where cadets are paid at the rate of one-half a second lieutenant's pay. The final year is spent on topics in military officership, and gives the students the opportunity to hold corps leadership positions.

Scholarships

The US Army ROTC programs has two-year and three-year scholarships available to qualified students. They are awarded based on merit and academic potential, not on need. Students can compete for three-year scholarships during their freshman year and two-year scholarships during their sophomore year or a Basic Camp. For more information, contact the Professor of Military Science at 315-268-7705 or 268-7708.