Peace Corps volunteers serving overseas will be able to simultaneously earn a bachelor's degree through Metropolitan State University.
"This is going to make an incredible impact in terms of Metropolitan State 's ability to reach out to a wider population of students who happen to be engaged in Peace Corps around the world," said Daniel Abebe, dean of the university's First College .
"This is a unique opportunity to tap into a population of very highly motivated, highly dedicated students who are sacrificing their time to others."
The target market for the plan are community college graduates who have finished their first two years of course work, and want to both volunteer for the Peace Corp. and get a four-year degree.
Peace Corps fieldwork should be woven into the course work, which will be administered online. To qualify, students must be accepted both to the Peace Corps and to Metropolitan State .
Gary Lore, a spokesman with the Peace Corps Minneapolis regional office, said research had showed that the inability to get a college degree while volunteering has been a recruiting obstacle.
"In asking how we can make things better, this is one of the ideas that came out," Lore said.
Abebe said students will be charged in-state tuition, and most will be eligible for state and federal aid because they will be living on small incomes. Abebe said the school expects the program to start small, but build up to about 50 students a year.
The graduation requirements for students in the Peace Corps program will be the same as for students in the university's more traditional programs.
Metropolitan State University is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, and has campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul .