Federal employees looking to obtain a bachelors or masters degree to further their government careers will now have six more options to choose from, as part of new academic agreements the Office of Personnel Management announced May 7.
The Federal Academic Alliance program, which now partners with 23 colleges and universities, offers federal employees and in some cases their families reduced tuition rates and scholarships for degree programs deemed essential for closing government skills gaps.
“The Federal Academic Alliance provides federal employees and their families improved access to obtaining bachelor and master’s degrees,” said OPM acting Director Kathy McGettigan in a news release.
“We will continue to work with colleges and universities to provide the federal workforce with opportunities to obtain the education they need to meet today’s federal workplace challenges, address critical skills gaps in mission critical occupations, increase federal employees’ access to high-quality, affordable educational resources, and further develop and retain the federal workforce.”
The alliance is designed to especially provide education in areas of human resources, information technology, acquisitions, auditor (financial), economist, and positions related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The new agreements include American University’s Key Executive Leadership Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Bellevue University, Columbia College, Georgetown University Biomedical Graduate Education, University of Louisville and Michigan State University’s College of Business.
Those agreements add to existing programs with The Catholic University of America Metropolitan School of Professional Studies, Central Michigan University, Champlain College, Colorado State University Global, Drexel University Online, Excelsior College, Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies, Marist College, Pace University iPace Program, Park University, Penn State University World Campus, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, Southern New Hampshire University Global Campus, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland Global Campus and Utica College.
Feds interested in exploring educational options under the Federal Academic Alliance can still access the Spring 2021 virtual Education & Professional Development Symposium through May 20 to receive brochures and watch presentations about the programs.
Jessie Bur covers federal IT and management.
