A million thanks for our military

education

A Million Thanks forOur Military

Bill Cramer, Chair Elect, Thanks A Million Campaign

Most of the public assumes our government

fully provides for the education of active duty service members and veterans. Unfortunately, this assumption is false. Although benefits like tuition assistance and the G.I. Bill go a long way, all too often they do not go far enough.

Gulf Coast State College and its foundation are working together to fill the many gaps between government benefits and the cost of an education for our military students, who number almost 1,200. Last year, the college’s foundation announced the Thanks a Million Campaign, which I am privileged to chair, to meet the critical needs of active duty, veteran and dependent students. For convenience, I will refer to them collectively as “military students.”

Active Duty

Financial assistance for active duty students at Florida’s colleges covers only tuition. They must pay for books, lab fees, distance-learning fees, capital improvement fees and financial aid fees, among others. These out of pocket costs

can total hundreds of dollars per course, typically more than they can afford.

These expenses are particularly onerous for enlisted members of the Air Force, who comprise the largest proportion of military students at Gulf Coast. With rare exceptions, advancement to the highest enlisted ranks requires a degree from the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF), an accredited two-year institution chartered by the federal government.

There is a catch-22. CCAF is authorized to award course credit only for job-related programs. Civilian institutions, like Gulf Coast, must provide general education courses, such as mathematics and social studies, necessary for a degree. If Air Force students cannot afford all required courses, they will not graduate from CCAF. In these cases, the odds are stacked heavily against promotion to the higher ranks, as illustrated by the chart.

For example, a typical Technical Sergeant lacking a CCAF degree has less than a 10% chance of advancing to Master Serby:

geant. Inability to obtain a degree creates morale problems, hinders retention and recruitment, and depletes leadership talent.

Other branches of the military face even greater obstacles. They rely on American Council on Education evaluated courses for transfer credits, which Florida’s colleges generally do not recognize. Currently, Gulf Coast enrolls 153 Navy Sailors, up from 24 last year primarily because of the Thanks a Million Campaign. The Navy has reduced tuition assistance to 16 semester hours a year; a two-year degree requires 60. The Coast Guard faces unique obstacles because it now falls under the Department of Homeland Security, and therefore its members are ineligible for some essential benefits available to the rest of the armed services.

Our goal is to raise enough money to meet the various financial needs for all active duty students attending, or aspiring to attend, Gulf Coast.

Veterans

Veterans face shortfalls in educational benefits as well as many other challenges, both financial and personal. They often have difficulty acclimating to a civilian environment or suffer from service-related disabilities. Even in cases where Americans make the ultimate sacrifice, government support may fall short of covering the cost of education for surviving family members.

Just last year, the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability published a study of veterans enrolled in community colleges that found:

Many struggled to successfully juggle the demands and expectations of marriage and parenthood, employment, and education. Despite receiving assistance from the Post-9/11 GI Bill . . ., participants struggled to pay bills, including childcare, as well as their everyday expenses. Throughout the semester, participants worked full-time, part-time, and/or odd jobs to “get by.” For some, competing demands necessitated dropping or discontinuing classes.

Unfortunately, this study describes the experience of many veterans at Gulf Coast.

The Thanks a Million Campaign

Whatever the reason, a financial crisis that causes a military student to drop out of college has the same effect: a missed opportunity for a better life. We conceived the Thanks a Million Campaign to provide that opportunity, and a guiding principle is flexibility to defray a variety of expenses, from the everyday to the course related.

The college and foundation will exhaust all other sources of funding, but if a worthy student runs up against a wall, we want to open a door. Therefore, there is no set limit for the amount granted for a genuine need.

The Thanks a Million Campaign is off to a good start. To date, our community has generously contributed over $800,000,

but much more needs to be done. During the past year, the campaign assisted over 1,000 military students, at a cost of approximately $100,000. Although awards averaged around $100, each one allowed a military student to attend Gulf Coast who would not likely have otherwise.

Now that the campaign has gone public, more will be aware that help is available, and the need will grow. We hoped this would happen, but increased demand requires additional donations. We respectfully solicit your support.

A Building Exclusively for the Military

The college is remodeling a facility dedicated solely to the needs of military students. Designated the Military and Veterans Resource Center, it will provide a “one-stop shop” for those seeking support, advice or peer interaction. The Board of Trustees approved naming opportunities for the building and rooms to recognize major donors. Money from the Thanks a Million Campaign will not be used for the remodeling.

Conclusion

Since American warriors have been willing to leave everything behind on foreign battlefields to protect our way of life, we should do anything we can to help them prosper here at home. I fervently believe the most effective means available to us is to provide educational opportunities empowering them to achieve the American Dream they have sacrificed so much to preserve.

HOW TO DONATE

The Gulf Coast State College Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. To contribute to the Thanks a Million Campaign please contact:

Margie Mazur, Executive Director Gulf Coast State College Foundation 5230 West Highway 98 Panama City, Florida 32401

Office: 850-872-3812 Email: mmazur@gulfcoast.edu