SUNY Poly has been designated as an institutional member of Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC), a group of over 400 colleges and universities providing voluntary postsecondary education to members of the military throughout the world. As a SOC member, SUNY Poly recognizes the unique nature of the military lifestyle and has committed itself to easing the transfer of relevant course credits, providing flexible academic residency requirements, and crediting learning from appropriate military training and experiences. SOC has been developed jointly by educational representatives of each of the Armed Services, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and a consortium of 13 leading national higher education associations. It is sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges (AACJC).