Fidelis College enables active-duty soldiers to complete the first two years of general education requirements online while still on active duty, then helps place them at a major university aligned with their civilian career goals. The company leverages military tuition assistance for the first two years and the GI Bill for the final two years after discharge to reduce student-loan burden. Beyond coursework, Fidelis provides sustained support—mentoring, tracking through graduation, career placement and a month-long "fork & knife school" to teach civilian social graces. The founder, Gunnar Counselman, is a third-generation Marine who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and later attended Harvard Business School; he previously worked as a consultant at Bain. Fidelis positions itself as a for-profit partner to traditional colleges focused on outcomes and improving graduation rates for veterans. The article cites broader demand drivers—low veteran degree-completion rates and post-service unemployment—that Fidelis aims to address. Financially, the company has raised venture funding to build this model and win institutional partnerships.

Total raised

$3M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Apr 2011