Area Military Students Get First-Class Treatment at Area Universities
air force theater hospital, colorado springs, colorado technical university, education, greg mitchell, military, military commitment options, regis university,
Universities in the Colorado Springs area are giving new meaning to the phrase “Support Our Troops.”
Both Colorado Technical University and Regis University offer reduced tuition rates to active military students, and the schools have long been known for reaching out to members of the armed services.
“Education is critical to armed forces retention, recruitment and advancement of personnel,” says Greg Mitchell, president of Colorado Technical University’s Colorado Springs campus. “We believe our men and women in the military deserve nothing less than our support in educational opportunities for their future and that of their families.”
More than 6,000 active military personnel are taking CTU courses online, and nearly 900 active military and veterans are taking courses on CTU campuses.
In addition to offering military scholarships to active Colorado military students and their immediate families, CTU provides Military Commitment Options to relieve all financial and academic obligations associated with courses to any soldier called to duty.
The university also implemented a $1 million scholarship fund for children of military heroes who have died in the line of duty, were permanently disabled in the line of duty or are certified as prisoners of war or missing in action.
In 2007, CTU shipped 1,200 pieces of clothing to the Air Force Theater Hospital at Balad Airbase in Iraq for injured troops and donated 35 personal computers to the Family Readiness Center at Fort Carson Mountain Post to enable families to communicate with loved ones deployed overseas.
At Regis University, military students and their spouses are eligible for a discounted rate of $250 per credit hour (rather than $335) for undergraduate tuition and 10 percent off graduate tuition. Regis also offers course credit for military training and a flexible military leave policy.
“In light of the increasing number of online students attending Regis and the positive experiences we have encountered with military personnel worldwide, Regis decided to extend a significant discount to our active duty servicemen and their spouses,” says William Husson, vice president of Professional Studies and Strategic Alliances at Colorado Springs’ Regis University. “Given the hardships they are enduring for our country, it only seems appropriate to extend a helping hand by reducing our tuition.”
Regis University student Cari Ellis, a sergeant at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, chose Regis because of its excellent reputation and the military discount.
“Regis offers the degree program I wanted, and the class schedule fits perfectly around my work schedule,” Ellis says. “Because I travel all the time for the military, the evening classes once a week with the short semesters work great.”
Story by Jessica Mozo
