NATCHITOCHES – When Dru Sikes Doty joined her husband, Sgt. Nicholas Doty, at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk after their wedding in July, she learned that Northwestern State University offers the lowest tuition for both active-duty service members and their dependents among institutions with a presence there.
After a conversation with Michelle Stephens, NSU’s military liaison at Fort Polk, Mrs. Doty enrolled in the Associate of Science in Nursing program. She is a native of northwest Arkansas who had previously taken community college courses. She and her husband visited Stephens when he was enrolling to pursue a biology degree at NSU.
“Ms. Stephens discussed with me the ASN program because I was considering nursing for a degree. The reduced rate of tuition opened up an avenue for me to pursue the dream of nursing that I had,” Mrs. Doty said. “I am not set on what type of nursing I’d like to do, but I’ve been thinking about hospice, trauma or travel nursing. Even though I am still early on in my pursuit of education, NSU has amazing faculty and staff. I can’t wait to complete my degree here and be an NSU grad.”
Sgt. Doty also began his first semester at NSU after being out of school for almost 10 years.
“My husband is active duty. He has been a medic in the military for eight years and is pursuing a biology degree to become a physician’s assistant or doctor after he completes his bachelor’s. He only has one in-person course, but he has had a great experience with NSU so far as well,” Mrs. Doty said.
“NSU’s general biology concentration is a solid option for service members preparing for the Army PA program (IPAP),” Stephens said. “We also offer degree plans that align with the prerequisites for Army-Baylor programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy and nutrition. These are all Army Medical Department (AMEDD) programs which lead to a commission. NSU is the only school at Fort Polk that offers the pre-requisites for these programs.”
NSU waives the application fee for service members, and in many cases, service members may attend NSU with no out-of-pocket costs, Stephens said.
Degree options in nursing include the Associate of Science in Nursing, the Medic to ASN and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, which meets Army requirements for the AECP commissioning program, a U.S. Army program that allows eligible enlisted soldiers to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and receive a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps.
“My experience at NSU so far has been great. All of my professors are knowledgable, helpful and flexible,” Mrs. Doty said. “Ms. Stephens has been a blessing. She has made everything so easy for my husband and I with enrollment, finding scholarships, tutoring, everything.”
Northwestern State also has agreements in place with Fort Polk in which military training can be applied as college course credits towards a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
U.S. Army Infantry Officer (11A) Charles Myers learned during his interview to be a Observer-Coach/Trainer at JRTC Fort Polk that he could apply the training he receives towards credits in a master’s degree in Homeland Security at Northwestern State.
Myers, a native of Philadelphia, was commissioned as an officer in 2017 through his college ROTC program. He arrived at Fort Polk last December after serving first as a platoon leader at Joint Base Lewis–McChord in Pierce County, Washington, then as staff and company command with the 173rd Airborn Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) in Vicenza, Italy.
Army OC/Ts are responsible for observing, coaching and training soldiers during exercises to enhance unit performance and readiness. New OC/Ts undergo training at the OC/T Academy to learn essential skills, rules of engagement, safety protocols and how to conduct reviews. OC/Ts play a vital role in developing future leaders by imparting their expertise and ensuring that units are mission ready.
Northwestern State has numerous degree programs in which military service credits can be applied, not only in the high demand areas of nursing, pscychology, social work and homeland security, but also business administration, computer information systems/cyber security and criminal justice. Those credits save time and money for soldiers and their families.
“Just about any of our degrees could possibly use military service as credit,” Stephens said. A full list of academic programs can be found at www.nsula.edu.
In addition to a presence at Fort Polk’s Education Center, NSU’s Leesville-Fort Polk campus serves traditional, non-traditional, military and non-military students who can take a mix of face-to-face and online classes. Over the past year, that campus served over 2,000 military-affiliated students, which includes active-duty, retirees, veterans and dependents. NSU also has a presence at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City and has for years consistently earned the Military Friendly School designation.
“So far my experiences with NSU have been great,” Myers said. “I plan on using this master’s to help further my career in the Army. I would absolutely recommend the program to others with similar aspirations as me.”
For more information on credit options for military personnel, contact Stephens at stephensv@nsula.edu or (337) 423-4917 or visit her at the Fort Polk Education Center, Room 129.
Information on NSU’s Leesville-Fort Polk campus is available at https://www.nsula.edu/about/campuses-directions/leesville/
Information on NSU’s Department of Military Science is available at www.nsula.edu/rotc.