EGCC makes list, is veteran-friendly
Staff report
steubenville
The 2012 Guide To Military Friendly Schools in GI Jobs magazine lists Eastern Gateway Community College as being friendly to veterans.
The colleges on the list “earn an A when it comes to educating America’s veterans,” according to the magazine. The strengthening of the Post-9/11 GI Bill opens the doors of higher education to even more veterans than before, the magazine said in urging veterans to use the guide in selecting a college to attend. “An education is a means to a rewarding civilian career,” the magazine said.
Currently, 37 veterans are enrolled at Eastern Gateway, where more than 3,000 military personnel and veterans took classes. To celebrate these veterans in honor of Veterans Day recently, the college presented the student veterans with gasoline gift cards to help them defray transportation costs.
Veteran Jessica Doak of Wintersville, a medical laboratory technician major, said she has been “very well treated” at Eastern Gateway. “Using the GI Bill is important, and any veteran should begin their higher education as soon as they are discharged. I highly recommend Eastern Gateway.”
Pleased that she was granted Ohio residency as soon as she applied, Doak praised the Ohio GI Promise for making that happen.
Eastern Gateway is listed in the guide as friendly in several ways, including:
Financial benefits: The college provides in-state tuition for nonresident veterans and military as well as credits for military service and training by participating in the Ohio GI Promise. With the Post-9/11 GI Bill, veterans may be eligible for up to 100 percent of tuition and fees, up to $1,000 for books per year. They also may be eligible for a Basic Housing Allowance depending on credits taken and percentage of eligibility.
Flexibility: Online/distance learning, evening and weekend classes are available.
Support: Eastern Gateway carries no activation penalty and belongs to the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) consortium. Members provide flexibility to service members, their families and veterans seeking college degrees. The college provides information for military and veteran students on its web site.
Degrees offered: Military and veterans may enroll in dozens of degree programs and certificates leading to a career or transfer to a university.
Accreditation: Eastern Gateway is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Many career programs, particularly in the health fields, also hold nation accreditations.
For more information, call Joann Harris, veterans certifying clerk, 800-68-COLLEGE, ext. 240.