Military and Veteran Admission Requirements

You are eligible to become an undergraduate student at Thomas Edison State University (TESU) if you are:

  • An adult 20 years of age or older (unless you are a current service member, in which case you are eligible at the age of 18)
  • A high school graduate or have successfully passed a General Educational Development (GED) test

Individuals not meeting these criteria, but who feel they warrant special consideration for other reasons, may petition the director of Admissions and Enrollment Services, and present appropriate documentation to support their being accepted to the University. Students admitted through special consideration are subject to the same academic policies and requirements as those admitted unconditionally.

You do not need to worry about application deadlines. The University offers 12 terms during the year.

Congratulations on the decision to apply!

General Undergraduate Admission Instructions

  1. Complete an online application for admission to the University. Once the application is submitted, you will receive an email confirming receipt, along with your military enrollment counselor’s contact information. Your military enrollment counselor will provide further guidance on your next steps for getting started.
  2. Arrange for all official transcripts, and any license or certification documentation to be sent to TESU for an evaluation of your transfer credit. You do not need to request your Joint Services Transcript (JST). Your military enrollment counselor will order the JST on your behalf.
  3. Your academic evaluation is completed within approximately 10 business days upon receipt of all transcripts and documentation. You will receive an email notification once the evaluation is complete and ready for your viewing.
  4. After you receive your academic evaluation, we recommend that you reach out to your counselor to review your next steps.
  5. To participate in the Military Degree Completion Program (MDCP), students must complete at least 24 credits toward a bachelor’s degree and at least 12 credits toward an associate degree at Thomas Edison State University. Your progress toward this requirement is outlined in your academic evaluation.
  6. If you will be utilizing Military Tuition Assistance (TA), please consult with your military education center to proceed through the TA process. Once your degree plan is approved by your service, you may register for courses and then request TA for your courses. Once your TA is approved, please submit it using the TA Upload Form.

Active/Inactive Status

Your student status is determined by your enrollment and the length of time you may take between courses. Please review guidance on active and inactive status and the services you are still provided or action you may need to take if you go into inactive student status.

Readmission and Course Withdrawals

Thomas Edison State University follows the guidelines for readmissions and course withdrawals and release that align with provisions for service members provided in Chapter 3 of Volume 2 of the Federal Student Aid Handbook (PDF).

If a military student must stop their educational endeavors for reasons of their service, the University will allow them up to three years to return to their academic program and catalog year that they were originally pursuing. The student is requested to contact their military enrollment counselor within the Office of Military and Veteran Enrollment and Outreach to inform them of their intent to return. The student simply needs to register for their next course in the next semester they are able to return, and their TESU student account will be returned to active and enrolled status once they surpass the 10th day of the course.

TESU students who are service members called to partial or full mobilization, reassignment or other military obligation should review the Options for Course Completion Due to Deployment policy and contact a military and veteran advisor for further information.