What is the Air Force’s Air University Associate-to-Baccalaureate Cooperative?
Earn your Bachelor’s degree in as few as 60 credits
The Air University Associate-to-Baccalaureate Cooperative, AU-ABC, is a partnership between Air University and civilian colleges and universities to provide accelerated pathways for airmen with Community College of the Air Force Associate of Applied Science degrees to earn a Bachelor’s.
Airmen can earn their Bachelor’s through the AU-ABC program during or after service if they have one or more CCAF degrees.
HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT THAN OTHER DEGREE PROGRAMS?
Transfer credits can be tricky, and not every college accepts all credits from prior schools attended. This is especially the case when transferring Associate of Applied Science degrees, which are typically career-focused, highly specialized, and technical in nature, to a Bachelor’s program. On average, students lose one full semester, or 13 credits, when transferring. Unfortunately, many colleges and universities are not in the business of making transferring easy. The fewer transfer credits they accept, the more time you spend completing your degree, and the more money that funnels through their system.
However, Air University has articulation agreements with partner universities that will accept all CCAF AAS credits. These universities agree to apply these credits to one or more programs, and not require more than 60 credits to complete a Bachelor’s degree.
This is a great way to shorten your time to degree completion and maximize your education benefits. A general, accelerated online program example is represented below:
CCAF
5 classes x 8 weeks = less than a year to complete.
*Take as many CLEP tests as possible to further reduce time to CCAF completion!
AU-ABC
60 credits = 20 classes
20 classes x 8 weeks = ~1.5 years with 2 classes at once
Total Time
~ 2.5 years
While this time frame depends on the program and school choice, one can generally expect classes to be around 6 to 8 weeks in length for accelerated online programs. The equation time frame would be similar for in-person classes, at 12-13 weeks, provided that the student takes a full course load. If a student transferred to a program outside of the AU-ABC network, they could expect a more traditional graduation timeline of 3.5-4 years.
Of course, every student is different, especially working/military adults, but it stands that taking advantage of the CCAF and AU-ABC can be beneficial for those seeking to earn a college degree while maximizing their education benefits.
NOT EVERY PROGRAM IS CREATED EQUAL
While Air University has partnered with 89 colleges and universities, it’s important to do your own research and look into each program offered. Ask yourself:
What is my end goal? You might want a degree to advance your military career or set yourself up for more opportunities after service, or this may be a personal goal. This could be the difference in needing to complete a program ASAP, or being able to take it at a slower pace.
What are employers looking for? If this is for civilian career advancement, you’ll want to consider what type of degree employers are looking for: Depending on what you want to do, you may be satisfied with a general business management or leadership degree. If you want to specialize, it’s good to take a look at some job postings that match your goals and explore degree requirements in that field.
What is your learning style? It’s no secret that online programs can be much more convenient for working adults, but not everyone thrives in fully-online programs. If you need more of a hands-on approach, consider well-established online programs that have an interactive curriculum, rather than giving you the weekly assignment and expecting you to learn the material on your own. Cohort models are exceptional when it comes to both flexibility and instructor involvement, or perhaps choosing a school that is near you can provide the online flexibility with accessible on-campus support, such as Veterans Upward Bound or other services.
PROGRAM OPTIONS
We’ve curated a top-notch list of regionally accredited Air University partners that reduce their price per credit hour to meet or beat the Tuition Assistance rate for active duty members. Degree pathways are dependent on CCAF degree.
Arizona State University: With ASU’s scholarship for active duty military and reserve, members will not be out of pocket for tuition expenses beyond Federal Tuition Assistance.
Boise State University: Through the TA Promise program, eligible active duty, guard, and reserve members using Tuition Assistance (TA) receive a scholarship to reduce their price per credit hour to match TA.
Colorado Technical University
Dakota State University
Eastern Oregon University: Offers a scholarship to cover tuition that exceeds TA. For those taking 100 percent of their coursework online and who have served in the National Guard or Reserves on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001, EOU offers the Active Duty Scholarship to cover all remaining tuition after other benefits are applied. Active duty military members receive priority registration.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Fort Hays State University
Bachelor of General Studies
BS in Technology and Leadership
Georgia Military College
Grand Canyon University
Granite State College
Indiana Wesleyan University: Zero out-of-pocket costs for textbooks
McKendree University: Technology and lab fees waived
Minot State University: Tech fees waived
Missouri Western State University
Northern Arizona University
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Old Dominion University
Purdue University Global: Purdue Global is on the quarter semester hour system, and reduces price per credit hour for actively serving military members by 55%, which is lower than the TA cap.
St. Joseph’s College New York
Syracuse University
University of Arizona
University of Charleston
University of North Dakota
University of Northwestern Ohio