Military scholarships for continuing education

We’ve talked before about the variety of financial resources available to military members and their families, including Peirce’s own Protect and Serve Grant. It is clearly a very important topic, illustrated by the fact that we continue to field a lot of questions from military members or veterans who are looking to pursue further education. For that reason, we want to make those resources easily available for military members pursuing a degree.

Keep an eye on news about the Post 9/11 GI Bill, which is slated for revisions and is currently undergoing proposed legislation in efforts to simplify the benefits. According to Inside Higher Ed, as of late June there were about 700 colleges signed up for the Bill’s Yellow Ribbon Program to fund tuition expenses for veterans.

Military.com offers a wealth of information about scholarships and aid available to active duty military members and veterans. Conducting a search with their scholarship finder brings up more than 1,000 scholarships exclusively for the military. Outside of these scholarships, each branch of the military offers their own unique tuition assistance programs. Military.com breaks down the programs accordingly:

• Army Tuition Assistance
• Navy Tuition Assistance
• Air Force Tuition Assistance
• Marine Corps Tuition Assistance
• Coast Guard Tuition Assistance
• National Guard Tuition Assistance
• Reserve Tuition Assistance

Below is a sampling of some other military scholarships designed to help you and your family reach your educational goals.

• Horatio Alger Military Scholarship
• The Fund for Veterans’ Education
• Scholarships for Military Children
• American Legacy Scholarship
• Tillman Military Scholarship
• AMVETS National Scholarship for Veterans
• Yellow Ribbon Program
• VA Mortgage Center Scholarship

For even more resources, you can visit Students.Gov, AmericaSupportsYou, MilitaryScholar.org, Disabled Veterans Website, Free-4U.com, scholarships4students.com, and Student Veterans of America.

Those that serve our country should have these resources at their fingertips, so if you know a service member who might benefit from this knowledge, please share the information! By collecting all of these resources in one place, we hope to make the process easier for military members and veterans who might be searching for support and information as they consider continuing their formal education.

Fall 2010 at the Walker Center: events and workshops

We have a busy month ahead as the fall session kicks off! Read on for workshop schedules and other upcoming events that will be hosted by the Walker Center for Academic Excellence from September through November.

First Year Initiative (FYI) New Student Orientation Sessions

On Campus Orientation: Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010 from 6 – 8 p.m., College Hall, Rooms 51/52
Online Virtual Orientation: Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010 from 11 a.m. – noon

Get information on our First Year Initiative (FYI) program, financing your education, study skills, support services, navigating PRC 101, ordering textbooks, and more! RSVP by Friday, Aug. 27 by calling 888.GO.PEIRCE, ext. 9219, or visit www.peirce.edu/newstudentorientation.

Workshop Schedule
To register for any of the workshops listed below, e-mail the Walker Center or call 888.GO.Peirce, ext. 9251.

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Meet Brian Finnegan, Faculty Chair of Information Technology at Peirce

In anticipation of the start of the fall session, we recently had the chance to sit down and talk with Brian Finnegan, Associate Professor and Faculty Chair of Information Technology at Peirce College. Brian combines his passion for teaching with his background in the IT field to lead the charge for Peirce’s IT degree program.

Brian took a few minutes to talk to us about his role at Peirce and his background in IT prior to entering the world of higher education. He also offered some advice for IT students and shared some thoughts about the future of the field, as well as what to look for from Peirce’s IT program over the course of the next academic year.

Listen to the podcast in its entirety by clicking on the player below, or download it by right-clicking the podcast link and clicking "save link as" to listen on a portable MP3 player.

63 years young: It’s never too late to achieve your dream of a college degree

Daria Ward vividly recalls the day in 2008 when she attended a First Year Initiative meeting, a networking group at Peirce College that offers support for both new and returning students. As she listened to a group of adult women talk about their return to school at a later point in life, she felt a sense of fulfillment. At that time, Daria was a 61-year-old mother of four grown children who had just recently made the decision to return to school after many years in the workforce.

Daria looks back on her career as a case worker for public welfare with pride and enthusiasm, but she had promised herself that she would one day complete her education, and it was time to make good on that promise. It is her personal belief that it is never too late to pursue your academic goals.

On June 14, 2010, at 63 years young, Daria graduated from Peirce College with honors, receiving her AS in Business Administration. Her son came all the way from Missouri to see his mother graduate and treated her to the luxury of a limousine. She was thrilled -- and not just with the limo! It was a time to celebrate with friends and family, and the neighborhood put on a block party in honor of her accomplishment.

Since graduating, Daria took a moment to share her experience and encourage other prospective students out there. Below is a letter she wrote in late July that is directed at those who may be wondering if it is too late to continue their education:

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Mayor Nutter’s Returning to Learning Program

On August 3, Peirce College bloggers had the opportunity to interview Mayor Michael Nutter for a public service announcement regarding his Returning to Learning tuition discount program. Click play below to hear what he had to say about what this program means for employees of the City of Philadelphia and how it furthers his goals for education in this city.

Is online learning right for you?

In offering a combination of online and traditional classroom experiences, we often face this commonly asked question: Is online learning as effective as in-person learning? It certainly can be. That answer is largely dependent upon the unique needs of each individual student. There are a variety of elements for prospective students to consider when asking themselves, “Is online learning right for me?”

In 2009, the U.S. Department of Education commissioned a report (conducted by SRI International) that looked at existing studies contrasting online and face-to-face learning. The report, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning, analyzed the effectiveness of online learning and the benefits of “blended” instruction, which combines online and traditional methods.

It is important to look at how much online learning has changed over the past several years. The landscape is much different than it was five years ago, and education experts are increasingly toting the advantages of online learning. There are more resources, programs, platforms, and technological capabilities than ever before, and there is tremendous opportunity for technology to improve teaching and learning. On top of that, graduates of online programs are proving themselves equally capable as those earning their degree in a more traditional manner. Combined, these factors are taking this style of learning to new heights.

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My internship at Peirce: Reflections and things learned

Hello again, it's Jasmine! Today is the last day of my internship at Peirce College, so I wanted to share my reflections on the experience. My journey as an intern here has been remarkable. I have learned so much from being here and from those around me. It was a pleasure to intern here at Peirce College and gain knowledge that I’ve never had before. I can honestly say this internship is something I will value for the rest of my life, and from it I will be able to encourage others to intern by sharing my meaningful experiences.

I learned that Peirce is a nontraditional college and its purpose is to serve working adults. Peirce specializes in Paralegal, Business Administration, and IT programs, with more new degree programs coming soon. The people at Peirce are dedicated to their work and to helping others achieve their goals. I also learned of Peirce’s values which are integrity, trust, respect, and professionalism. These are important because not only is it what Peirce expects of their employers but also their students.

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