Penn State World Campus has been recognized as a Guard-Friendly School by an organization devoted to supporting the members of the Pennsylvania National Guard.
The Pennsylvania National Guard Associations (PNGAS) designated Penn State World Campus as a Guard-Friendly School that creates a supportive learning environment for Guard members who are pursuing post-secondary education. This is the third consecutive year that World Campus has received the PNGAS Guard-Friendly School honor.
The group said Penn State World Campus exceeded its list of 10 criteria. These include accepting tuition assistance through the Pennsylvania Education Assistance Program and the Department of Defense’s GI Bill®, having policies to protect the academic standing and enrollment status of National Guard students, and providing training to faculty and staff to support National Guard members.
“We are honored to receive the Guard-Friendly School designation from the Pennsylvania National Guard Associations,” said David Furchner, director of the Penn State World Campus Education Alliance. “Our students’ success is our top priority, and our staff strive to create the kind of learning environment that accommodates the needs of military students such as Pennsylvania National Guard members and their families.”
Financial support for Pennsylvania National Guard members and their families
Pennsylvania National Guard members receive financial support through the Pennsylvania Education Assistance Program (EAP), which was established by the state of Pennsylvania. Their spouses and children can receive financial support through the Pennsylvania Military Family Education Program (MFEP).
Penn State World Campus accepts this funding, which results in a tuition benefit of $342 per credit.
Guard members and their spouses who are undergraduate students receive funding through the Penn State World Campus Military Grant-in-Aid program, which aims to make higher education more affordable and attainable. The benefit for the 2022–23 academic year is as much as $302 per credit.
When combining the two funding sources, Guard members and spouses receive a tuition benefit equivalent to as much as $644 per credit.
Putting the tuition assistance to use
Chelsea Coia graduated in August with a degree in security and risk analysis that she completed online while working and serving with the Pennsylvania National Guard. She did not have to take out any loans to cover her tuition.
“Penn State World Campus was great because the courses were flexible and allowed me to go to school while working full time,” Coia said. “I used EAP to cover the cost of tuition along with the Military Grant-in-Aid they provided to get my degree with no debt.”
Services for military students
Military students in all branches have access to the World Campus military support team, many members of which are veterans or military spouses. The team includes staff who work in admissions and academic advising.
Students can also utilize specialized services to support their academic success while they are on active duty, deployed, or handling other responsibilities.
Learn more about the services for military and veteran students at Penn State World Campus.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
