How SOC Aimed to Enhance Service Members’ Transition to Civilian Life Through Quality Credentials

Transitioning from military service to civilian life can be a significant challenge for many service members. The Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) was a Department of Defense (DoD) funded program, created in 1972, that helped service members earn college degrees despite frequent moves. In 2018, SOC announced a new focus: connecting service members with quality credentials aligned with high-growth careers. DoD ended the SOC program in March 2019, so most of those plans were never carried out. This page explains what SOC set out to do and where service members can turn today.

Understanding the Challenges

Leaving the military often means navigating a new job market, which can be overwhelming. Service members possess a wealth of skills and experiences, but translating these into civilian qualifications isn’t always straightforward. There’s a pressing need for programs that recognize military training and help veterans acquire credentials that employers value.

SOC’s Commitment to Service Members

In 2018, SOC said it aimed to improve lifelong outcomes for service members by:

  • Connecting with Quality Credentials: Aligning educational programs with high-growth, high-demand careers so that service members would be prepared for roles with strong opportunities.
  • Collaborating with Stakeholders: SOC said it had begun working with industry, DoD, and higher education stakeholders on career pathways.
  • Launching Career Pathway Networks: SOC was working to launch its first Career Pathway Network pilot, in cybersecurity, and planned to add more fields over time. DoD ended the SOC program in March 2019, and we found no published results from the pilot.

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Key Initiatives and Programs

  1. Career Pathway Networks
    • Clear Communication: SOC planned to give service members vetted options for preparing for, starting, and advancing in high-growth careers.
    • Stackable Education Options: Participating schools were to set up program-level articulation agreements so credentials could build upon each other.
    • Career Roadmaps: Each pathway was to have a roadmap mapped to stackable education options with strong learner outcomes.
  2. Vetted Credential Designation
    • Defined Career Pathways: A progression model would show how to start and advance in a career pathway based on current skills, knowledge, and experience.
    • Trusted, Quality Credentials: Credentials had to come from schools that signed the DoD Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), meet SOC’s outcome benchmarks, and show how their curriculum closed employers’ skill gaps.
  3. Prior Learning Assessment
    • Recognizing Military Experience: SOC planned to work with participating schools on how they award American Council on Education (ACE) recommended credit for military courses and work experience.
    • Transparency and Consistency: The goal was to make those credit awards more transparent and consistent across participating schools.

Aligning with Broader Economic Needs

The skills gap in the economy is a significant issue, with many positions remaining unfilled due to a lack of qualified candidates. SOC framed its plans as part of the response to that gap, aiming to:

  • Fill Critical Roles: By preparing veterans for high-demand jobs, businesses can grow and innovate.
  • Boost the Economy: Employing skilled workers contributes to local, state, and national economic development.

Focusing on High-Growth Careers

Cybersecurity was the only Career Pathway SOC announced before the program ended. Other fields where demand is high include:

  • Cybersecurity: With increasing cyber threats, there’s a critical need for professionals who can protect information and systems.
  • Healthcare: An aging population requires more healthcare services, creating opportunities in various medical fields.
  • Information Technology: As technology advances, so does the need for skilled IT professionals.

Measuring Success

SOC planned to judge credentials against five outcome benchmarks:

  • Completion Rates: Average completion rates for part-time learners within 8 years of starting a program.
  • Retention Rates: Retention rates for part-time learners.
  • Job Placement: Job placement rates in the field of study within six months of graduation. This was a measure for schools, not a placement service.
  • Financial Responsibility: The average 5-year loan default rate for independent payers.
  • Course Pass Rates: Pass rates for Tuition Assistance-funded courses at each school.

Benefits to Service Members

  • Personalized Pathways: The planned pathways were to start from each service member’s current skills, knowledge, and experience.
  • Recognition of Skills: More transparent award of ACE-recommended credit for military training.
  • Flexibility When Moving: Under SOC’s original Degree Network System, member schools near military installations accepted each other’s credits for similar degrees and reduced minimum residency requirements, so service members could keep progressing after a change of station.
  • Better Use of Benefits: Steering service members’ time and Tuition Assistance toward credentials most likely to lead to a civilian career.

Results of the Pilot

SOC said it would share data from its cybersecurity pilot, but we found no published outcomes or participant stories before DoD ended the program in March 2019. For that reason, we don’t report any results here.

What to Use Instead Today

There is no SOC program to join today. These current DoD and VA resources cover what it used to do:

  • Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL): The DoD COOL portal and each branch’s COOL site link military occupations to related civilian credentials.
  • DANTES and Your Education Center: DANTES runs CLEP and DSST credit by exam, TA DECIDE, and counselor support, and your installation education center can help you plan a degree.
  • Joint Services Transcript (JST): Your Joint Services Transcript shows schools the ACE credit recommendations for your military training and experience.
  • Tuition Assistance and the GI Bill: Use military tuition assistance while serving and GI Bill benefits after service; see how the military pays for college.

Conclusion

SOC helped service members earn degrees from 1972 until DoD ended the program in March 2019. Its last plan, career pathways built on quality credentials, was announced in 2018 but not carried out before the program ended.

Many of SOC’s practices live on in the DoD Voluntary Education Partnership MOU that every school must sign to receive Tuition Assistance, such as reducing residency barriers, considering ACE-recommended credit for military training, and giving each service member a student agreement that shows which credits were awarded and which courses remain. Service members bring discipline, leadership, and technical abilities to the workforce—qualities that are highly sought after in today’s job market.

Take the Next Step

If you’re a service member ready to embark on a new career path, start with your installation education center and the DoD tools above. With the right support and resources, the transition to civilian life can be a rewarding journey filled with opportunities.

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