A private two-year college offering associate degrees across thirteen majors, accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
It began in the 1930s as a junior college program inside Valley Forge Military Academy and separated into its own institution in 2023, with its own board and president. The two still share a campus, which is why the names are easy to confuse.
The Early Commissioning Program
This is the thing that separates the four military junior colleges from every other two-year school. Finish the two-year program and the Army ROTC track with it, and you commission as a second lieutenant in two years rather than four — then complete the bachelor’s degree afterward, as a commissioned officer.
Only four schools in the country run it: this one, New Mexico Military Institute, Georgia Military College and Marion Military Institute.
What it costs, and whether the GI Bill covers it
This is an ordinary college bill, so your benefits work here. Two years of tuition is well inside what the Post-9/11 GI Bill covers at the resident rate, and the credit transfers if you go on to finish a bachelor’s degree. Run your own numbers before you take anyone’s word for the cost.
For veterans
The Early Commissioning Program is aimed at students who have not served. If you have, the reason to look here is different: a two-year degree fully covered by your benefits, on a campus that understands military structure, with credit that transfers onward.
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