Free Education Information - Central Texas College

Hi everyone-

Check out this article by the Fort Lee Public Affairs Office. CTC is giving wounded soldier's spouses 30 semester hours of free tuition:

Fort Lee, Va. (Nov. 26, 2008) -- By T. Anthony Bell

For some time now, Army spouse Pasha Quintana has desired to start a college degree program but couldn't get the ball rolling for various reasons.

Thanks to a Central Texas College scholarship program, she's one step closer to realizing her dream.

The wife of Warrior Transition Unit Soldier Sgt. Roberto Quintana is the installation's first recipient of a CTC program that will allow her to complete 30 credit hours at the school free of charge.

"I'm just so happy," said Pasha, who recently completed her first two classes at the school. "It's just great what Central Texas is doing, especially for our wounded Soldiers. There is so much out there for them, but the fact that they're including the wives and Families, makes me emotional. It's one of the most American things they can do."

Under the provisions of its Wounded Warrior Spouse Scholarship Program, which was created in the spirit of Army Family Covenant, spouses of Purple Heart recipients are eligible for up to 30 semester hours within a one-year period that began Aug. 1.

Spouses interested in the program must present a marriage license, Department of Defense identification card and their spouse's DD Form 214 or Purple Heart award orders. Only spouses of those Soldiers who earned the Purple Heart after September 2001 are eligible.

Dick Gates, the CTC site manager at Fort Lee and a former veteran himself, said the program is a way of giving back to military members who have sacrificed so much for their country.

"It's an excellent program," said the Vietnam veteran. "My personal feeling is that we can't do enough for Soldiers. They deserve the best that we can provide."

Spouses who take full advantage of the program stand to gain about $3,900 in free tuition, "Plus text books," said Gates, "so you're probably looking at around $5,000."

Pasha, who is a licensed stylist, said the scholarship offer helped her to kick-start a degree program in information technology. She added that she knows all too well the challenges that spouses of wounded warriors face in supporting their Families and that higher education is sometimes not an option.
"Everybody who can should take advantage of the program," she said.

Stacey Towns is an education counselor with the Soldier and Family Assistance Center which provides a number of assistance services to WTU members. She said that although Pasha is the first recipient of the program, she anticipates that more will sign up.

"I would hope that the number will grow as more Soldiers and spouses become aware of the program," she said, "and as Fort Lee expands because of BRAC, I'm sure that it will."

The WWSSP is available at CTC campuses throughout the nation, said Gates. The program is funded for the current program year, but funding beyond that is uncertain, he added.

For more details on the program, visit the CTC Web site at www.ctcd.edu/militaryspouses

Finished!

At last.

I can't believe it, but I just finished my written exams for the PhD that I've been working on the past three years.

The degree (when I finish) will be in Organizational Leadership from the University of Oklahoma.

Although I live in Germany, I can still take classes at my local Army Education center.

Spouses - I suggest when you find a moment, please visit your installation's Ed Center. There is never a good or bad time for education. Each day that passes is one day less you will have to get your degree. It can't hurt to at least see what they have to offer.

Remember - Don't "just survive" during the deployment -- ---- --- THRIVE! You can do it.

Get an Education! It's never too late.

Hi Everyone-

What do you do now that your servicemember is deployed?

Get Educated!

Getting a degree and getting an Education are two totally different things.

As most of you know, most jobs require some sort of vocational skill or a mention that you have a degree on your resume. But you don't have to be working towards a degree to get an EDUCATION.

Most of you will say that as a servicemember's spouse you have put in plenty of time at the School of Hard Knocks. I agree.

Military spouses are some of the strongest people I know. You deal with the homefront on a daily basis. Many of you hold down jobs and then take care of the family. That leaves little time for anything else. And I agree that sometimes taking classes may be hard and very time consuming.

BUT, you owe it to yourself to visit your local education center, community college, or university to see what courses are being offered.

You may find a class or two that peeks your interest and fits your time schedule. You may find a class that will Educate you. It's true that one or two classes won't get you a degree, but one or two classes starts you on the way to become an Educated person.

Best regards,

Marc