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ASU Receives TWC Grant

June 25, 2013

Angelo State University has been awarded a $110,810 grant by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) through its College Credit for Heroes (CCH) workforce development program.

ASU is one of six new and four existing CCH partner schools that will split a total of $1.5 million in TWC funding, and is the only four-year university in the program. CCH is designed to recognize the knowledge and skills gained by military service members and to award college credit for military experience, enabling veterans to more easily re-enter the workforce.

ASU’s grant funding will be used to establish five new articulation agreements with select community colleges that will allow students to more easily transfer their academic credits to ASU programs in border security, cyber security, intelligence, and security studies and analysis. Those programs are promoted through ASU’s Center for Security Studies, and each includes bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and certificate program options. ASU previously signed an articulation agreement with Central Texas College, and with the grant funding, is already working toward new agreements with Howard College, Weatherford College and Cisco College.

Additionally, the grant will allow ASU’s Veterans Educational and Transitional Services (VETS) Center to help veterans and service members transition to the campus by providing academic, social and financial aid support. The VETS Center aids students with military education benefits and other resources, and includes a study area equipped with computers and a social area.

“We want to be able to help student veterans and their families with everything from the ASU application process to advising and registration and financial aid,” said Russ Baker, veterans outreach coordinator. “We want to be their point of contact for those types of things.”

During the spring semester, nearly 400 ASU students received veterans benefits, either as veterans themselves or as spouses or children of veterans, and that number is expected to increase this fall. The VETS Center also encourages student veterans to take advantage of state legislation that allows them to receive up to 12 transferable hours of available military service credit.

Other new CCH partner schools are the Austin Community College District, Dallas County Community College District, Grayson College, Tarrant County College District and Texas State Technical College-Harlingen. They join the Alamo Community College District, Lee College, Lone Star College System and San Jacinto Community College District already in the program.

To learn more about College Credit for Heroes, visit www.collegecreditforheroes.org. To Contact ASU’s VETS Center, call 325-486-8387 or email vets@angelo.edu.