Valley Forge Eyes Move Across State Lines

Valley Forge Military College could soon be on the march.

College leaders say they are under fire from local officials, who proposed a plan to seize part of their campus earlier this year before backing down. They’ve also warned the private military college about potential zoning violations and allegedly challenged its nonprofit status. Now Valley Forge is exploring a plan to leave Pennsylvania altogether, engaging in talks with lawmakers in other states about relocating and joining a public system.

Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina and West Virginia have emerged as potential destinations.

Valley Forge occupies a unique role in American higher education. It’s one of only four junior military colleges—and the only private one—that offer two-year associate degrees and a fast track to becoming a U.S. Army officer through an early commissioning program. From there, students often transfer to a four-year institution to earn a bachelor’s degree while serving in the Army Reserve or National Guard.

John English, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Valley Forge Military Foundation, told Inside Higher Ed that given the continued friction with Radnor Township, where the college is located, staying in Pennsylvania may no longer be an option. He argued that pressure from township officials have made long-term planning impossible and undermined student recruiting efforts. He also said that Valley Forge approached Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office earlier this year and requested to join the public university system but was rebuffed.

(Neither Radnor Township commissioners nor Shapiro’s office responded to requests for comment from Inside Higher Ed, though local officials have previously accused the college of “trying to weaponize the media” to drive up the price on a piece of land the township wants to buy.)

To English, state support is a crucial part of the potential move.

“Why would we continue as a private institution living off of tuition and donations when our three competitors [Georgia Military College, Marion Military Institute in Alabama and New Mexico Military Institute] are all being supported by their states? If I’m going to compete, we want to compete on a level playing field, and that’s been made clear to every state that we’ve spoken to,” he said.

Momentum for the move is building. English said he’s been in talks with officials in Florida and South Carolina, and the governor of West Virginia has also reached out. But Oklahoma was the first to show interest; State Senator Kelly Hines, a retired U.S. Army colonel, contacted Valley Forge after hearing about its conflict with Radnor Township.

That interest has only grown. Last month Hines initiated a study on the possibility of relocating the college to Oklahoma and welcomed English and Valley Forge President Col. Stuart Helgeson to speak to the state Senate’s Veterans and Military Affairs committee. English emphasized the importance of state support, while Helgeson touted partnership opportunities with the Oklahoma National Guard, as well as with the state’s four-year universities, where Valley Forge graduates could complete bachelor’s degrees.

The Road to Relocation

Joining Oklahoma’s public higher education system will require approval by the State Legislature, though committee members appeared receptive when English and Helgeson presented last month. (Valley Forge could also receive state dollars as a private institution, which would require lawmakers to establish a funding mechanism outside Oklahoma’s normal higher education appropriations process.)

“When I was in college, Oklahoma didn’t have an institution like Valley Forge. Today, we have an opportunity to change that,” Hines said in a press release after the committee meeting. “We can bring a proven military college model to Oklahoma, give young people a debt-free path to education and military service, and develop the next generation of leaders right here at home.”

Officials with the Oklahoma National Guard and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce also threw their support behind the idea at last month’s committee meeting.

Dennis Pruitt, senior vice president for economic development at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, noted multiple sites that could accommodate a new campus for Valley Forge, and he urged lawmakers to give the relocation idea “the attention it deserves.”

English told Inside Higher Ed that land and facility needs for Valley Forge, which enrolls just over 100 students, are fairly minimal. Currently the college has more space than it needs, and he believes it can fit onto a 10- or 15-acre plot, including space for outdoor physical training.

Based on Valley Forge’s current timeline, English expects the move to take between three and five years. However, he said that a host state could accelerate the move if they throw support behind it. He also noted the college has been in talks with its accreditor and military officials about the relocation.

But moving between states—and the public and private sectors—is exceedingly rare for a higher ed institution.

When private colleges shift into the public sector, it’s typically the result of an acquisition. Recent examples include the University of Tennessee system’s acquisition of Martin Methodist College, Delaware State University’s purchase of Wesley College and a merger between Montclair State University and Bloomfield College, all of which stayed within state lines.

Though moving presents logistical challenges, English is skeptical that the college can remain in the Keystone State—which it has called home since 1935—given its deteriorating relationship with local officials and the lack of public funding, which he said is needed to keep it competitive. In moving across state lines, Valley Forge is seeking a more welcoming relationship elsewhere.

“I ain’t feeling much love in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” English said.