Soldier On has welcomed Australian Catholic University (ACU) as its newest Education Partner.

The three-year agreement will see ACU working alongside Soldier On’s Pathways Program to remove the barriers that veterans and their families often face when pursuing higher education.

ACU has established a strong relationship with the Defence and veteran communities through its veteran support mechanism which has successfully supported almost 150 student veterans since 2019. ACU’s Veterans’ Entry Program (VEP) and Student Veterans Support Program (SVSP) work to assist current and ex-serving personnel in their admission to higher education, as well as their progression through studies. Access to ACU’s support services will open doors to higher education and limitless career possibilities for former military personnel.

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ACU, in partnership with the Australian Students Veterans Association (ASVA) and supported by the Australian Defence College, has also recently completed the “Credit Where its Due” project, creating the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) framework. This aims to support those transitioning out of the military by formally acknowledging rank and training completed during their service as part of the application process. The RPL framework has the potential to reduce the time and cost of tertiary education at ACU and will launch a new cohort of confident, skilful, and job-ready veterans into their new careers.

“We understand the challenges facing our veterans and the complex backgrounds and experiences from which they come. For this reason, ACU is enormously proud of its commitment to help veterans make the leap to civilian life,” said ACU Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Zlatko Skrbis.

Working in partnership with Soldier On, ACU will provide greater support to a wider range of Australian veterans as they transition into civilian employment.

“By partnering with Australian Catholic University, we are building a stronger support network for veterans and their families, with dynamic education options, enabling veterans to upskill and choose new career pathways,” Soldier On Education Manager, Daniel Vincent said.

“Completing tertiary study is like winning Willy Wonkers Golden Ticket. It will open new doors that you didn’t even think existed. I encourage everyone to give it a go,” Daniel added.