ASSEMBLY HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 94

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MAY 6, 2010

      The Assembly Higher Education Committee reports favorably Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 94.

      This concurrent resolution requests and encourages each institution of higher education in the State to seek membership in the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Consortium.  The SOC Consortium was created in 1972 to provide educational opportunities to servicemembers who had trouble completing college degrees because of their frequent relocations.  The SOC Consortium serves as a vehicle to help coordinate voluntary postsecondary educational opportunities for servicemembers by: advocating for the flexibility needed to improve access to and availability of educational programs for servicemembers; helping the military and higher education communities understand and respond to each other’s resources, limits, and requirements for meeting the education and training needs of servicemembers; and strengthening the working relationships among military and higher education representatives.  Today, the SOC Consortium includes more than 1,800 colleges and universities among its members, including 27 institutions of higher education in this State.

      As reported by the committee, this resolution is identical to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 40, which also was reported by the committee on this same date.