Senior soldiers and junior officers without an undergraduate degree are able to obtain one through funding from the Army Tertiary Education Program.
The period of sponsorship is for one academic year of part-time study, which includes up to a maximum of four units of study in the academic year.
Any remaining units of study to be completed after this sponsored year may be considered after a formal request by the continuing student.
Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) Joseph Seymour decided to complete a Bachelor of Business after he learnt about the program from a colleague.
"Having joined the Army at 17, it meant I had not completed Year 12 or received an HSC score," WO2 Seymour said.
"The study provided me with a broader knowledge base to draw from while working towards achieving a degree, which I thought would not ever be achievable having not completed Year 12."
WO2 Seymour said the application process was clearly explained and easy to complete.
"It was a series of clear steps and check boxes between the member, the chain of command, the university being applied to and the program coordinator, that you progress through in your application to be approved," he said.
One advantage of the program is that it provides flexibility for a member to complete the units over time.
This allows students to finish a three-year, full-time course in as little as two years of part-time study by acknowledging previous training and experience.
"The program will fund four units a year and most degrees only require eight units to be completed after recognition of prior learning," WO2 Seymour said.
"I completed my degree over seven trimesters.
"A lot of military work, training and concepts can be directly related back to the topics, and I found some were even identical to systems we use but are just called something different in the academic world."
