Learn to code with no degree and no tuition
A degree is not the entry ticket to software engineering, and tuition is not the price. Vets Who Code trains veterans, service members and military spouses to be software engineers with neither.
- Length
- 17 weeks
- Commitment
- 20–30 hrs/week
- Format
- Remote-first · platform + sessions
- Cost
- $0
- Eligibility
- U.S. veterans, service members & spouses
- Outcome
- Software engineer
No degree required
Admission is selective, but we evaluate aptitude, drive and follow-through, not credentials or prior technical experience. No prior experience with software is required. If you can show up to sessions, do the reps between them and take feedback, you have what we screen for.
No tuition, and who pays instead
The program costs $0. There is no tuition, no income share agreement, no loan and no hidden fee. Donors and partners fund it. Vets Who Code is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 86-2122804.
What replaces the degree
Employers hire on evidence. Instead of a transcript, you leave with a body of work:
- Blogs that explain your decisions in writing.
- Pull requests opened, reviewed, revised and merged, with the conversation still attached.
- Features shipped to real users in real codebases.
- Verified work, where every skill names the artifact that proves it and the criterion it is judged against.
The curriculum behind it is public: every skill, every link between skills and the reason each one is there. Read the curriculum before you apply.
Who this is for
- You served, and you are ready to work like it: showing up to sessions and doing the reps between them.
- You want to build software, not collect certificates.
- You can hold a job, a family or a recovery alongside 20–30 focused hours a week.
- You would rather be told the standard than be told you are doing great.
Who this is not for
- You want a credential you can finish by watching videos.
- You want someone to place you in a job rather than help you earn one.
- You want to work entirely alone. The sessions are the program, not an add-on.
How to start
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a software engineering job without a degree?
Yes. Vets Who Code graduates work at Microsoft, Amazon, Google, GitHub, Booz Allen, Deloitte and others, and the program does not require a degree. What employers read is your body of work: blogs, merged pull requests and shipped features.
Is the program really tuition-free?
Yes. $0, with no income share agreement, no loan and no hidden fee. Donors and partners fund it. Vets Who Code is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 86-2122804.
Do I need prior coding experience?
No. Admission is based on aptitude, drive and follow-through. The prework is public, and it is how you show us the follow-through.
What computer do I need?
No specific brand or operating system. Your machine should be no more than five years old and able to run a code editor, a browser and a terminal at the same time.
How much time per week does it take?
Plan for 20–30 focused hours a week for 17 weeks. Sessions are scheduled; the platform material can be taken at your own pace.
What if I do not get in?
Apply to the next cohort. Some of our strongest graduates did not get in on their first attempt.
2027 Cohort · Applications Open