13 Pa. schools named Guard-Friendly Schools

13 colleges and universities that have earned the designation: PNGAS Guard-Friendly School.

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP » The Pennsylvania National Guard Associations (PNGAS) has unanimously-approved and announced another 13 colleges and universities that have earned the designation: PNGAS Guard-Friendly School, including three from the region. They join 30 schools announced by the PNGAS in November.

Gwynedd Mercy University, Villanova University and Valley Forge Military College have been given the designation — which recognizes universities and trade schools that meet or exceed 10 criteria that create a supportive learning environment to assist members of the Pennsylvania Guard and their families pursuing post-secondary degrees.

The designations were approved and announced July 23 at the Pennsylvania National Guard Associations board of directors meeting, and brings to 43 the number of schools to hold the designation.

The three area schools named to the list this year, join four other area schools that were added to the list in November 2019: Montgomery County Community College, Immaculata University, Penn State – Abington and Penn State – Berks.

“We are very confident the designation, Pennsylvania National Guard Associations Guard-Friendly School, will keep producing immediate and long-term benefits and synergies for students, faculty, alumni, Guard-members, veterans, their spouses, families, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its economy,” Kathleen Fabrizi, executive director, Pennsylvania National Guard Associations and Pennsylvania National Guard Foundation.

The Guard-Friendly School standards were developed by the Pennsylvania National Guard Associations Education Advisory Council. In April 2019, an application and process for the Guard-Friendly School designation was released.

The Education Assistance Program has been the number one recruiting tool for the Pennsylvania National Guard, according to a press release. Since its inception, Pennsylvania has distributed more than $281 million through the Education Assistance Program so Guard members can get college, university and trade school degrees.

The Education Assistance Program provides a tuition benefit equivalent to the yearly tuition rate set by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, which allows members to attend one of 488 Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency approved schools. Currently, there is an almost $32,000 tuition benefit for each Guard member.

With the July 2019 enactment of the Military Family Education Program, there is now a non-lapsing fund providing Education Assistance Program-like tuition benefits to spouses and children of members of the Pennsylvania National Guard when a Guards member reenlists for another six-year term too. Next year, the Military Family Education Program will be an almost $32,000 tuition benefit for spouses and/or children of a Guard member that reenlists for six-years.

Of the more than 480 schools eligible to receive Education Assistance Program funds, only the 43-schools on the list have earned the right to be designated a Pennsylvania National Guard Associations Guard-Friendly School.

Pennsylvania National Guard Associations is a non-profit organization, not associated with the Pennsylvania National Guard, the state or federal government, the U.S, military or the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. For more information visit https://pngas.org/