PNGAS Releases Application For Guard-Friendly High Schools

The board of directors of the Pennsylvania National Guard Associations (PNGAS) approved the release of the application for PNGAS Guard Friendly High Schools. All high schools are encouraged to apply to be recognized as PNGAS Guard-Friendly High Schools. The high school designation is based on the extraordinarily successful designation for higher education, the PNGAS Guard Friendly Schools, created by the PNGAS Education Action Council, (“EAC”) chaired by Brigadier General (Retired) George Schwartz. The link to the high school application is: https://forms.gle/ZwT6ksT6ZFXwjZ8R9.

To date, 43-colleges, universities, and trade schools have been designated PNGAS Guard Friendly Schools.

To recognize high schools providing excellent access, optics and availability for military recruiters, and marketing materials of the Pennsylvania National Guard, the PNGAS Education Advisory Council has developed a sliding scale against 20-baseline criteria to recognize High Schools that are creating a supportive and open environment for military recruiters and their marketing materials. 

Pennsylvania offers the highest tuition benefits in the nation for the Pennsylvania National Guard. 

A high school student can join the Pennsylvania National Guard and not only received a free college education but also their spouse and/or children can receive a free college education, too.

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 almost $300 Million through the EAP program so Guard members can get free 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 $32,000 tuition benefit for each Guard member.

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 $32,000 tuition benefit for spouses and/or children of a Guard member that reenlists for 6-years.

“With the successes of the PNGAS Guard Friendly School program, we want to spur the same synergies and best practices with our high schools,” stated Kathleen Fabrizi, Executive Director, PNGAS. “Our PNGAS EAC Chairman, George Schwartz, Brigadier General (Retired), US Army and the inspired leaders on the PNGAS Education Action Council are delivering great awareness, optics and collaboration between high schools and higher education and we are excited to collect and share best practices among our great high schools. Thank you! We’re excited to recognize as many high schools as possible with the PNGAS Guard-Friendly High Schools designation.”

There are no costs or fees for High Schools to apply and participate.

The link to the high school application is: https://forms.gle/ZwT6ksT6ZFXwjZ8R9.

If you have questions or want the application in a different format, contact: PNGAS@PNGAS.org

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. 

“We are developing a strong pathway between high schools and higher education. We are very confident the designation, PNGAS Guard-Friendly High School, will keep producing immediate and long-term synergies for students, teachers, administrators, alumni, Guard-members, veterans, their spouses, families, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its economy,” Kathleen Fabrizi, Executive Director, PNGAS and Pennsylvania National Guard Foundation.

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