Prospects and New Applicants: Your Gateway to Success

Gary Meder began his career in the military as a frozen recruit in November 2000 at Navy RTC Great Lakes! During his time on active duty, Gary completed several courses using the Navy Tuition Assistance program. After his Navy enlistment was complete in 2005, he continued his education part-time using the Montgomery GI Bill. Gary began his career in higher education as a VA work-study and then later became the Veteran and Military Advisor at Ocean County College in 2012. He was responsible for working with all military affiliated students and their families on everything from academic advising to applying for their VA and military education benefits.

In 2007, Gary decided to apply and register at what was then Thomas Edison State College. As a working adult, part-time student, and full-time dad, Gary needed a better option to complete his degree and TESC was the perfect fit for a Veteran seeking flexible options to finish. After a few challenging years, he was able to complete his BA in Social Sciences.

In 2015 Gary applied and became an Academic Advisor at TESU and then a few years, began work in the Office of Admissions. Gary is now serving as the Military and Veteran Enrollment Specialist for newly admitted Navy and Marine Corps students. As an alumnus and employee of TESU, Gary is uniquely qualified to assist his fellow military-affiliated students achieve their goals.

What He Has to Say

As a student-centered, higher education professional, I am dedicated to helping all of our students at TESU. I personally understand the responsibilities that our students have outside of school and how difficult those long days can be. The best advice I can give is to never stop working toward completing your degree or challenging yourself, even if it’s just one course and one day at a time, keep going and good things will happen.

If you’re ready to start, or ready to finish what you started, then Thomas Edison State University may be a perfect fit for you! We look forward to hearing from you.

Why It Matters

Chartered by the New Jersey Board of Higher Education in 1972, Thomas Edison State University pioneered and established distance-learning options, long before "online" became our present everyday reality. We have not been idle through the years, as we have also worked to take full advantage of your military training and experience by developing competitive and relevant degree programs, which enable you to transfer the maximum amount of credit for your military experience and transfer credit.

Top Five Navy Degree Options

The below are our five most-recommended degrees, which generally represent the most open or flexible options for our Sailors, based on their experience. Does a program below fit your needs? If so, we invite you to apply, as we can get you started quickly, and free-of-charge.

1. Associate in Applied Science in Applied Electronic Studies
2. Associate in Applied Science in Applied Health Studies
3. Bachelor of Science in Electrical Technology
4. Bachelor of Science in Electronic System Engineering Technology
5. Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Energy Engineering Technology

Not connecting with the above, or looking for a more specialized route? We realize every Service member is unique and as such, you may be looking for a degree that reflects this. Browse our more than 100 available degree programs.

Our Promise to You

In order to ensure your success in completing your degree, Thomas Edison State University strives to meet or exceed the following Principles of Excellence, as established under Presidential Executive Order 13607.

• Up-front and transparent pricing, in order to gain a better understanding of the total cost of education.
• Minimize out-of-pocket expenses, by identifying potential military and veteran education benefits.
• A no-pressure, self-determined educational experience, emphasizing degree completion, over institutional compensation.
• Delivering only high quality accredited educational programs.
• A seamless readmission process, should a Service member experience an interruption to their education.
• Accommodations for our deployed Service members, should they need to drop or extend a course, as a result of service in the field.
• Academic evaluations outlining degree requirements, credits that have been earned, and a clear path to completion.
• From application to registration, each student is assigned a dedicated enrollment counselor who is there to help.