Officers of The Salvation Army participate, experience, and are called to lead in unique forms of ministry and service on a daily basis.  As a result, there are times when an officer seeks to further develop skills and talents through means of formal educational opportunities. Unfortunately, it is not always easy as officers to know how and where to start.  These pages here are dedicated to helping officers understand a bit about the process for continuing or starting undergraduate and/or graduate studies.

What is Officer Education Assitance (OEA)?

Officer Education Assistance is a program provided by The Salvation Army for its officer personnel to enhance their skills, aptitude, and credentials for ministry and service as a Salvation Army Officer.  Most officers are aware that the program exists, but often are uncertain if they qualify to participate.  The following offers a quick snapshot to assist in understanding the program.

Who: Any officer who desires to begin or complete an existing accredited degree program may apply for an Approved Program of Study through their Unit Commander to the Officer Resource & Development Secretary.

What: Officers submit an application for an Approved Program of Study form appropriate for the degree program for which they desire to enroll to their Unit Commander along with an outline from the Institution for the total number of courses and credit hours needed to complete the degree and a statement of financial costs per credit hour.  Once approved, officers register for courses directly with the Institution and submit for reimbursement to the ORD Manager.

Where: Officers, in general, may select any accredited institution in which to enroll.  However, officers are strongly urged, depending on the specific program, to consider institutions with which the Salvation Army has affiliation in order to take advantage of both lower tuition rates and advanced standing based upon course work completed at CFOT.  A list of affiliated institutions and degree programs for both undergraduate and graduate study are provided in the links to the left.

Click on the institutions to the left to learn more about our educational partnerships!