Associate-to-baccalaureate program debuts June 1

Published May 15, 2007
By Staff Sgt. Matthew Bates
Air Force News Agency

MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- Airmen at places like Mountain Home may enroll into a new Air University program that allows them to expand their Community College of the Air Force degree into a bachelor's degree starting June 1.

The Air University's Associate-to-Baccalaureate Cooperative, or ABC, program features partnerships with various civilian higher-education institutions to offer four-year degree opportunities via distance learning.

As part of this partnership, participating schools and universities accept all credits earned by Airmen with a CCAF degree and apply them, in most cases, to a bachelor's degree related to their Air Force specialty.

"Through this program, Airmen are going to be halfway to their bachelor's with guaranteed acceptance and guaranteed credit transfer to any school participating in the ABC program," said Col. Thomas Klincar, CCAF commandant at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Ala. "Because this is a distance learning program, they will be able to do this from anywhere in the world."

At Mountain Home, nearly 560 Airmen have at least one CCAF degree with an additional 620 people within 15 semester hours of earning their associate's degree, said Gary Sarazin, base education center team chief.

The program makes the transfer process easier for Airmen, Colonel Klincar added.

"In the past, Airmen would apply to a college, submit their transcripts and talk to a counselor about classes available," the commandant added. "The college would look over the transcripts and accept some credits, but not others, and then the Airmen would have to go through the acceptance process. This new program will eliminate that experience."

Sixteen universities, including the Park University and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University campuses at Mountain Home are currently enrolled in the ABC program offering some of the 23 different degrees, Mr. Sarazin said. The types of degrees offered vary by school.

"Some schools have submitted proposals covering all 67 CCAF degrees," Mr. Sarazin added. "Other schools have submitted proposal which link to one, or just a few AFSCs. The goal is that students will have options to review a selection of programs and determine the path they want to take or the /institution they want to partner with to complete a four-year degree."

Through the ABC program, Airmen can use the Air Force Portal and the Virtual Education Center to access a list of participating universities. From there, the application process is basically point-and-click.

"There's no need to order transcripts or fill out any application forms," Colonel Klincar said. "Instead, CCAF will electronically send an Airman's credits to the university of his or her choice that is participating, and the Airman will receive a message saying 'Congratulations ... welcome to our program, let's get started.' "

The program benefits Airmen seeking a four-year degree and gives the Air Force more knowledgeable Airmen in a timely and efficient manner.

"It's basically a win-win situation," Colonel Klincar said. "Individuals win because they won't waste time or effort earning degrees, and the Air Force wins because its enlisted force will be earning career-focused degrees they can use on a daily basis."

The time needed for an average student to earn their bachelor's degree through ABC depends on their personal motivation and final degree requirements left after the college's or university's degree evaluation, according to Mr. Sarazin.

"The program criteria states that students will not be required to take more than 60 semester hours past their associate degree," he added. "Schools can certainly require students to take less based on the amount of credit they already have from additional sources that are degree applicable."

Classes for those pursuing bachelor's degrees through the program focuses on upper level 300- and 400-level courses geared for college juniors and seniors.

There are currently 60,000 eligible CCAF graduates across the Air Force currently qualified to apply for the ABC program -- students these universities try to attract, according to Colonel Klincar.

"Each of our graduates is coming on board with 100 percent tuition assistance, and they are proven, successful students who are smart and already have an accredited degree," the colonel added.

Ultimately, every Air Force specialty will have at least one degree offering within the program, Colonel Klincar said.

The base education center holds briefings on the ABC program at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. May 21 at the base theater. For more information about the program, call the base education center at 828-6363 or go online to the Virtual Education Center via the Air Force Portal.

Associate-to-baccalaureate program debuts June 1

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