PNGAS Announces 2022-2023 PNGAS Guard-Friendly Schools

(Fort Indiantown Gap – Annville, PA) – October 27, 2022 – The Pennsylvania National Guard Associations (PNGAS) announces its 2022-2023 PNGAS Guard Friendly Schools.

Launched under the leadership of Brigadier General George Schwartz (Ret), the PNGAS Guard-Friendly School program was designed to recognize high schools, colleges, universities, and trade schools that meet or exceed a set of standards that support and promote the Pennsylvania National Guard, as well as the recruitment and retention of soldiers and airmen, and the pursuit of post-secondary degrees and certifications by members of the Pennsylvania Guard, veterans, spouses and military children.

The logo for PNGAS Guard-Friendly Schools serves as a beacon and star-rating that promotes the institution to Guard members, veterans, spouses, and families, as well as to state leaders, high school and college counselors, prospective recruits of the Guard and the general public. “Guardsmen have unique responsibilities that active-duty troops and reservists do not have, and this creates different challenges for them when pursuing a degree,” stated Joseph Dagney, Chairman of the PNGAS Education Action Council. “These schools have made a deliberate effort to be flexible, accommodating, and supportive of Guardsmen and their families, and they are most definitely deserving of recognition. The PNGAS Guard Friendly School designation is a triple-win!”

For many years, the Education Assistance Program (“EAP”) has been the number #1 recruiting tool for the Pennsylvania National Guard. Since its inception, Pennsylvania has distributed more than $300 Million through the EAP so Guard members can get college, university and trade school degrees. The EAP provides a tuition benefit equivalent to the yearly tuition rate set by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) so that members of the Pennsylvania National Guard can attend one of 488 Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) approved schools. Presently, the EAP is an almost $36,000 tuition benefit for each Guardsman.

With the July 2019 enactment of the Military Family Education Program (MFEP), there is a now a non-lapsing fund providing EAP-like tuition benefits to spouses and children of members of the Pennsylvania National Guard when a Guardsman re-enlists for another 6-year term too. Next year, the MFEP will be an almost $36,000 tuition benefit for spouses and/or children of a Guard member that reenlists for 6-years.

As state and national emergencies and global warfare become increasingly sophisticated, technology-driven, and complex, having a well-trained and educated Guard force is more strategic and valuable than ever.

“The PNGAS Guard-Friendly School programs is producing immediate and long-term benefits and synergies for students, veterans, faculty, alumni, schools, employers, military-families, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its economy,” Chad Rettew, Executive Director, PNGAS and Pennsylvania National Guard Foundation. “We’re very proud to support this program!”

To help optimize Guard recruitment and retention, PNGAS started collecting and sharing best practices among K-12, colleges, universities, trade, certification, and training schools. By promoting and championing best practices, schools are improving and competing to deliver excellent value to Guard members, veterans, military families, and the general public.

“PNGAS places great value on recognizing individuals and organizations that promote the Pennsylvania National Guard. We are very pleased to announce the 2022-2023 PNGAS Guard​ Friendly Schools,” stated Ronda Fawber, Chairman of the PNGAS Board of Directors.  She added, “Surrounding the Guard are many people and organizations undertaking exceptional actions to support the Pennsylvania National Guard. Simply put, recognizing excellence is important and we are pleased to celebrate the​se strong and supportive schools!”

We are pleased to introduce the 2022-2023 PNGAS Guard Friendly Schools:

PNGAS Guard-Friendly High Schools

• Annville-Cleona High School
• Avonworth High School
• Big Spring High School
• Bishop Carroll Catholic High School
• Brandywine Heights High School
• Bucktail High School
• Carbondale Area Jr-Sr HS
• Central MontCo Technical High School
• Central Mountain High School
• Central York High School
• Chester County Technical College High School
• Commonwealth Charter Academy
• Conestoga Valley High School
• Conneaut Area Senior High
• Cumberland Perry Area Vocational Technical School
• East Pennsboro Area High School
• Eastern Lebanon County High School
• Ephrata High School
• First Philadelphia Preparatory Charter School
• Frankford High School
• Governor Mifflin High School
• Greater Johnstown Career & Technology Center
• Halifax Area High School
• Harry S Truman High School
• Holy Cross High School
• Indiana County Technology Center
• Interboro High School
• Jim Thorpe Area High School
• Keystone Jr. & Sr. High School
• Lake-Lehman High School
• Lebanon High School
• Liberty High School
• Lower Dauphin High School
• Martin Luther King High School
• Morrisville High School
• New Oxford High School
• Norristown Area High School
• North East High School
• Northeastern High School
• Our Lady of Lourdes Regional School
• Owen J. Roberts High School
• Oxford Area High School
• Palmyra Area High School
• Parkland High School
• Phoenixville Area High School
• Radnor High School
• Red Lion Area Senior High School
• Riverside High School
• Salisbury Township High School
• Spring Grove Area High School
• Steelton Highspire School District
• Stroudsburg Area School District
• The Philadelphia Military Academy
• Upper Dauphin Area High School
• Valley Forge Military Academy
• West Mifflin Area High School
• West Scranton High School

PNGAS Guard-Friendly Schools

• American Military University
• Bloomsburg University
• California University of Pennsylvania
• Central Penn College
• Clarion University
• Community College of Allegheny County
• Community College of Philadelphia
• Cornell University
• DeSales University
• DeVry University
• Drexel University
• East Stroudsburg University
• Eastern University
• Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
• Fort Hays State University
• Geneva College
• Grand Canyon University
• Grand Canyon University
• Grantham University
• Gwynedd Mercy University
• HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College
• Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
• Immaculata University
• Indiana University of Pennsylvania
• Lebanon Valley College
• Lehigh Carbon Community College
• Lincoln College of Technology
• Loch Haven University
• Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
• Montgomery County Community College
• Moravian College
• Muhlenberg College
• National University
• Peirce College
• Penn State (Berks)
• Penn State Greater Allegheny
• Penn State Lehigh Valley
• Penn State Schuylkill
• Penn State University (Beaver)
• Penn State University (Mont Alto)
• Penn State University (Scranton)
• Penn State University (University Park)
• Penn State University (World Campus)
• Penn State University Abington
• Penn State University- Harrisburg Campus
• Penn State University- Scranton
• Pennsylvania College of Technology
• Pennsylvania State University – York
• Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics
• Post University
• Robert Morris University
• Saint Joseph’s University
• Shippensburg University
• Slippery Rock University
• Troy University
• Universal technical Institute
• University of Pennsylvania, College of Liberal and Professional Studies
• University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
• Valley Forge Military College
• Villanova University
• Waldorf University
• Waynesburg University
• Western Governors University
• Wilkes University

PNGAS is an independent non-profit organization, not associated with or legally connected to the Pennsylvania National Guard, US Military, Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs or the state or federal government

Mission-driven, PNGAS is the only organization exclusively promoting the highest levels of readiness, modernization, and quality of life for our 18,000 members and 70,000 veterans of the Pennsylvania National Guard, their spouses, and families, while making sure our men and women have the very-best equipment and resources, and the benefits they earned. Over the next 12-months, the Pennsylvania National Guard must recruit more than 2,300 new members to replace Guard members that have completed their commitments and/or retired. As a direct result, PNGAS legislative, budget and mission priorities reflect the critical need to attract, train and retain quality women and men in the Guard and recognize the institutions that help optimize recruitment, retention, and procurement strategies of the Pennsylvania National Guard.