WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has entered into academic agreements with four additional schools bringing the total number of colleges and universities in the Federal Academic Alliance to 15. The newest additions of Catholic University of America Metropolitan School of Professional Studies, Pace University iPace Program, Park University, and Utica College all joined the Alliance to offer tuition discounts to Federal Employees.  

“This Federal Academic Alliance provides Federal Government employees and their families with access to opportunities to earn a variety of bachelor and master degrees,” said OPM Acting Director Kathy McGettigan. “We will continue to work with colleges and universities to provide the Federal workforce with opportunities to obtain the education they need to meet today’s Federal workplace challenges. The Alliance will also help agencies close critical skills gaps, enabling the Federal workforce to fulfill its mission to serve the American people.”

The Federal Academic Alliance provides an additional tool for agencies to address their respective critical skills shortages, retirement, and attrition exacerbating these skill gaps, hiring freezes, and anticipated reductions in most agency budgets. The academic agreements provide reduced tuition rates from 5 percent to 70 percent and/or scholarships to Federal employees. Some of the agreements also extend benefits to spouses and legal dependents of Federal employees. 

The portfolio of these institutions include programs that address some of the Federal Government’s mission-critical occupation skills in the areas of Acquisition, Human Resources, Financial Auditing, Economics, Information Technology with an emphasis on Cybersecurity, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

OPM continues the effort to close skills gaps, increase Federal employees’ access to high-quality, affordable educational resources, and further develop and sustain the Federal workforce.

For more information about the programs, admissions, and contact information for each school, visit the Federal Academic Alliance wiki page. Please follow us on our main social media channels to learn the latest OPM news, campaigns and programs: https://twitter.com/USOPM, https://www.facebook.com/USOPM/, and https://www.linkedin.com/company/opm.