GHC Named a Top Military-Friendly College

Georgia Highlands College has been included in the 2014 Guide to America’s Top Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities published by the Military Advanced Education Journal. The designation is the second for GHC, which was also listed in 2012. Institutions are chosen based on four criteria: a strong military culture at the institution, financial considerations such as tuition and fees and available financial aid packages, scheduling and course flexibility, and support for veterans and their unique issues. Highlands scored highly on questions that were asked in these specific areas. The institution serves more than 200 veterans and reservists.

The publication sent surveys to thousands of American colleges and universities. Five hundred responded, but only those institutions that scored well in the four key categories made it the “top” designation. Amy Wise, veterans affairs coordinator at Highlands, is completely versed in the benefits, scholarship possibilities and financial aid packages available for military personnel, veterans and their dependents. GHC also has a substantial distance learning program, creating more options for this population. There are counselors at each GHC site trained to deal with issues facing military personnel and veterans, and there’s a liberal withdrawal policy when armed forces personnel are called to active duty or deployed. Per Board of Regents policy, the college waives mandatory fees for Georgia National Guard and reservists, including student activity, institutional, data card, athletics, technology and parking fees.  Added to a very affordable tuition, these benefits make enrolling at Georgia Highlands attractive for this student cohort.

In Georgia there are several financial aid and scholarship opportunities available for members and veterans of the armed services, especially for Georgia National Guard and military reservists. The HERO Scholarship is available through Georgia Student Finance to Georgia National Guard, reservists or their spouses and children. Recipients are eligible for up to $2,000 a year. The My Career Advancement Accounts, or MyCAA, is paid by the Department of Defense to spouses of members of the Georgia National Guard who have spent 181 consecutive days or longer in a combat zone. These awards amount to as much as $4,000 a year.

The list of top military-friendly colleges and universities will appear in the December issue of Military Advanced Education Journal.