Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Marine Corps

Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Marine Corps (SOCMAR) is a worldwide network of colleges and universities that are either on or accessible to Marine installations. Courses taken by active duty marines, their spouses or adult family members at any of these educational institutions apply toward an associate or bachelor’s degree.

Highlights

• If you are transferred to another installation or to several installations, you, your spouse or adult family members can continue to work toward college degrees, and the courses you complete at any SOCMAR educational institution count toward the degrees.

• SOCMAR has many distance-learning degree programs.

• The Marine Corps may foot the bill for a good portion of classes you, your spouse or your adult family members take while you are on active duty. The Marine Corps Education Center at your installation has details.

How It Works

1. Home College

   Go to your Marine Corps Education Center. A counselor helps you find a field of study and a college that offers a degree in that field. That college is your SOCMAR home-college.

2. Enroll

   Enroll in your home college.

3. Education Counselor

   Your Marine Corps education counselor pairs you with an education counselor at your home college.

4. Student Agreement Plan

   Your home-college education counselor evaluates your prior learning (including military experience) and completes a SOCMAR Student Agreement Plan.
   

5. Begin Courses

   Begin taking courses.
   

6. If Transferred

   If you are transferred to other installations, continue working on your degree by distance-learning or at SOCMAR colleges on base or near your new installation.

7. Transcripts

   After you complete courses, send the transcripts to your home-college education counselor. Likewise, send your home-college education counselor scores for any credit-by-examination tests you take.
   

8. Apply to Graduate

   After you successfully complete coursework toward a degree, apply to graduate at your home college. Double-check that all of your documentation and records have been sent to your home-college education counselor.

9. Graduate

   If everything is in order—Congratulations! Your home college awards your college degree.