By Whitney Vickers
FAIRBORN — Ohio National Guard members in good standing now have the opportunity to pursue a graduate degree at Wright State University with the help of scholarship funds.
According to Wright State, it is the first scholarship of its kind offered in the State of Ohio.
“The Ohio National Guard graduate scholar program will help National Guard members strengthen their skills and advance competencies so they have the best education and training to either advance in the National Guard or another career in the public or private sector,” Wright State Provost, Chief Academic Officer and Vice President for Curriculum Thomas Sudkamp said. ” … Higher education is absolutely critical to the future growth and vitality of the Dayton-region and State of Ohio. We’re proud to make this opportunity available to members of the Ohio National Guard.”
Wright State Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School Robert Fyffe said the scholarship is simple to pursue: Ohio National Guard members should be in good standing as well as a desire to pursue higher education. They will be eligible to receive $2,500 per semester as long as they maintain a 3.0 grade point average and are attending classes on a full-time basis (at least six credit hours per semester). Some courses are available online, serving individuals with full-time day jobs.
Students may apply the funds toward any graduate program at Wright State with an exception to those that would result in a M.D. and Psy.D degree. The scholarship will carry over from year to year.
“Wright State has the reputation and action behind it to be a military-friendly campus,” Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor John Carey said. ” … We have many initiatives for bachelor degrees, associate degrees and other types of degrees, but we’re moving this one step forward — stretching this to a graduate [school] scholarship is something we need to emulate across the state.”
Scholarship funds have already been in place for Ohio National Guard members wishing to pursue a bachelor’s degree, while Wright-Patterson Air Force Base active-duty military member and civilian employees who wish to pursue a graduate degree at Wright State have been eligible for scholarship funds since 2014. Wright State officials said the implementation of these new scholarship funds is a compliment to those already-existent program.
“What I would really like to see, as the Ohio Adjutant General and the fact that I have 16,000 soldiers and airmen that are distributed throughout the state, of course, is that other institutions of higher learning decide to pick up what Wright State is doing and replicate this type of benefit throughout the State of Ohio,” said Major General Mark Bartman, Ohio adjutant general.
