You might say that Scott LeBlanc has a knack for timing.

While on active duty in Iraq with the New Hampshire National Guard, he scheduled a leave to coincide with the birth of his first child, a son; his wife went into labor less than two hours after Scott got off the plane.

“The baby was waiting for me,” says the 34-year-old Hudson resident.

Now Scott is doing it again, with the aim of earning a bachelor’s degree.

Time-wise, it’s still a close call for the father of three, who is a full-time corrections officer at the state prison, a staff sergeant in the National Guard and a social science major in the SNHU Online program.

What makes it possible is that Scott attends classes without leaving home.

“It works much better for me,” he says.

Scott works third shift, sleeps during the day, and fits school work into a busy family life.

“It’s difficult sometimes,” he says, adding that his wife is also in school, preparing for a career in elementary education.

But Scott says he’s grateful for the opportunity, made possible through the G.I. Bill, which pays for his education.

He also appreciates the flexibility of the online format, and the welcoming university community.

“The school is very supportive of the military,” Scott says. “They’re well-versed in the G.I. Bill.”

He says it’s been heartening to learn that in most of his classes there has been at least one student who is currently deployed.

This semester, for example, he has an online classmate who is stationed in Iraq.

“It’s a flexible schedule, even with an eight-hour time difference,”

Scott says.