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Military Education News And Info

Stay up-to-date with news and information about your military education. You can get the information you need to make informed decisions about your online and military correspondence programs. Learn what's going on with military education and how you can make a smooth military transition. Your civilian career awaits you!

Children and Teen Programs in the Marine Corps

Friday, January 30, 2009

The Marine Corps has established programs to make sure that the children of Marines get the educational, social and recreational opportunities to help them reach their potential. The programs are run by the Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) and are especially important right now while the Corps is on a war footing.

Military spouses have rightly received their due lately for the number of sacrifices they’ve made to support our nation’s armed forces; yet we must also recognize that children who go without a parent during a deployment are also making a great sacrifice.

Depending on the age, often children don’t fully understand why a parent has to be away from the family for a year, or even more. And while the service member is deployed, the remaining parent often has more stress and responsibility, further adding to the nervousness of children.

Just as any country rightly recognizes the family as the basic block of society, so does the Marine Corps appreciate that families support the individual Marine. Research indicates that the legacy of broken families ultimately has consequences for society; in this same vein the Marine Corps appreciates that a disrupted, hurting Marine family will affect the fighting ability of an individual Marine.

    To help assist parents, the Marines have instigated a program designed to help children and teens on and off base. These programs are for children from six weeks all the way up to the age of 18. Some of the programs include:
  • Child Development Centers: Children are cared for the whole day, for part of they day or even for one hour; they are staffed by trained caregivers who must meet the accreditation standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
  • Family Child Care Homes: Child care is provided in housing owned or leased by the government and under control of the base commander. FCC providers are private contractors certified and monitored by the command.
  • Youth Activities: A variety of recreational activities are available for children, including centers with foosball, pool tables, video games, etc., for the benefit of Marine Corps children; there are also computer labs for student homework and skill development classes.
    The Marine Corp has also teamed up with the Boys and Girls Club of America to expand youth and teen programs. The partnership with the Club provides materials and services for health, social, education and character development programs.


Click here to learn more educaiton and tuition assistance for marine.

None of these programs are a substitute for the principal role played by a mother and father, but they can be a helpful augmentation to the family’s role – particularly during times of deployment when one parent may be away.

While the Marine Corps has a variety of services to help Marine families, many families may be new to the Corps or a particular installation and not familiar with the wide-range of services they can tap into. Marines should always communicate with new Marines and their families and make sure they’re informed about the services offered by the Corps.

And with the news that 30,000 troops will be sent to Afghanistan in 2009, it’s a sure bet that their will be Marine families who will need to lean a littler harder on the Marine community and services that make deployment a little bit easier.

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Posted by Allied Blogger Admin @ 9:57 AM • 0 comments

Companies Take Part in Army Spouse Employment Partnership

Friday, January 16, 2009

In 2002, then Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, created a special program called the Army Spouse Employment Partnership to create career opportunities for military spouses. The program is a partnership between the public sector and private corporations; over the last six years more than 41,000 jobs have been created for military spouses.


One of the latest private corporations to join the program is Converges,
a global leader in relationship management, who announced its plans to help Army wives and husbands find employment.

Convergys human resources will work with the program to reach out to Army spouse at Convergys' 81 contact centers. The company also plans to aggressively use the Web to inform spouses about the job opportunities at the company.

"Hiring military spouses makes good business sense and fits very well into Convergys' commitment to global talent management, and that's why we didn't hesitate to join Army Spouse Employment Partnership," said Clark Handy, Convergys Senior Vice President, Human Resources. "Military spouses represent a talented and diverse workforce of people who are often concentrated on or near US military bases around the world and whose exceptional work ethic and low attrition rate speak volumes about the high quality of work they can provide."

Convergys joins 27 other companies, along with Black & Veatch Corporation, EMC Corporation, Lowe's Corporation and West Corporation who signed up to help this past October. This past year approximately 8,000 Army spouses were helped with jobs, which is a significant contribution as the nation struggles through a recession.

Military spouses, because of the unique circumstances of the military lifestyle, have a harder time in general achieving the kinds of educational and career goals that civilians can. Military spouses, who are enrolled at a school near the base, may have to disrupt or discontinue their schooling when their military spouse is transferred to another duty station of state.

Although congress and state legislators have begun to address the issue, many military spouses who move to a new state are not eligible to receive in-state tuition rates, making the cost of education unaffordable. One important solution already available for military spouses is online education.

The advantage of distance learning for military spouses is that they can enroll in a program, and continue studying no matter where the military family is transferred. Many online training programs are also self-paced, which means that students often have up to one year to complete a course or program.

This would allow, for example, a military spouse to take two months off while he or she moves with their family to a new duty station in another state. As soon as the family is settled in their new home, the spouse can get right back online and resume studies.

In addition to eliminating the whole issue of in-state tuition rates, online education also allows military spouses with children to study without leaving the home. Military spouses can study during nap times, at night or on the weekend; distance learning allows military spouse to be both parents and students. Get military education with military tuition assistance from Allied Schools.com.

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Posted by Allied Blogger Admin @ 2:36 PM • 0 comments

Government Job Opportunities for Military Spouses

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

In yet another positive development for the career prospects of military spouses, President Bush recently signed an executive order giving federal managers permission to hire a special set of qualified spouses without having to subject job vacancies to the normal competitive process.

Bush's order gives some preferential treatment to the qualified military spouses of services members who have either been killed in action, incapacitated by their service (100% disabled) or are moving as part of "permanent change-of-station orders."

Each year nearly 20,000 new people join the government's employment ranks, and this directive would allow federal mangers to hire a qualified military spouse before the open position is publicly advertised.

Military officials are hoping that more career opportunities for military spouses will lead to better retention numbers for military personnel. Military spouses generally have unemployment numbers higher than their civilian counterparts.

It's expected that this directive will not be implemented until early next year. The military spouses of Reservists and National Guardsmen on active duty qualify for the preference.

Military spouses who are not affected by the executive order can still give themselves a competitive edge by enrolling in career training programs that are 100% online and entirely self-paced.

Many schools and universities also offer military spouse discounts and military spouse scholarships and military spouse career advancement accounts to help military families afford tuition. And with uncertain economic times on the horizon, it's always a good thing to have as many qualifications as possible.

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Posted by Allied @ 2:30 PM • 0 comments

Military Spouses and Online Education

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Military spouses have recently been getting wider recognition for the sacrifices they make supporting America's men and women in uniform. The national spotlight on the repeated deployments of service members to Iraq and Afghanistan, and its effect on military families, has helped raise awareness of the unique pressures that spouses face each day.

More attention is now focused on the fact that military spouses have, in general, higher rates of unemployment than their civilian counterparts. Studies have also shown that one of the common obstacles to employment is access to military spouse education opportunities. This awareness has lead many universities and vocation schools - both online and traditional classroom schools - to offer military spouse scholarships. It is hoped that these efforts will lead to more jobs for military spouses.

Many military spouses have difficulty commuting to school because of childcare commitments, the high cost of gasoline or they are simply too far from the nearest campus. All of these factors make distance (online) education a real aid for military spouses. Many distance education schools offer scholarships for military spouses with career training programs with real military spouse benefits.

When investigating online schools, military spouses should look for few key items when evaluation schools:

Accreditation - Make sure the school is an accredited member of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)
Live Student Support - When you have a question about the course you want to talk to a person, not a machine; ask the school how many dedicated support staff they have
History - You want a school that has been enrolling student for years; ask how many students they have enrolled over the years
Job Assistance - No school can "place" you in a career, but good schools can coach you in how to create a quality resume or prepare you to succeed in a job interview
Discounts for Spouses - Many schools now have education benefits for active duty military spouses

Military spouses can qualify for a military spouse scholarship when their spouse enrolls at Allied Schools using Tuition Assistance (TA). Under Allied's Military Family Scholarship Program, a military spouse's tuition for one career training program is waived when their service member spouse uses TA to enroll at Allied.

Allied Schools is an accredited member of the DETC and offers distance education courses in medical transcription, dental office assistant, medical billing, medical coding and real estate sales, to name just a few. Online education allows military spouses to maintain their daily commitments while training for a new career.

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Posted by Allied @ 7:39 AM • 0 comments

Army Will Grow Military Benefits Support for Family

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Next year Army families can expect more services, support and military benefits because of a $700 million increase in the 2009 Army Budget. This amounts to a doubling of the Army's 2008 family support services and will translate into more staff at family readiness groups, better child care and more military spouse education opportunities.

The 2009 portion of the Army's family support budget will be set at $1.4 billion. Much of the Army's initiatives are centered on helping military spouses with more child care resources so they can pursue either employment or career education. One way that military spouses can prepare for career is through accredited military education options such as training at a 100% online vocational school.

Online schools have been creating educational opportunities to aid the military family, including scholarships for military spouses and scholarships for military dependents. The advantage of training online is that military spouses can maintain their daily commitments to their family and the community, while still preparing for a career like medical transcription, medical coding or real estate sales.

Allied Schools is an example of an online school that offers both scholarships for military wives as well as scholarships for military children. When service members enroll at Allied using Tuition Assistance (TA) and then completes one module/course, their spouse or dependent enrolls at no charge under Allied's Military Family Scholarship Program.
Allied Schools, www.education4military.com


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Posted by Allied @ 10:41 AM • 0 comments

Aid for Military Spouses Expands

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Education benefits for active duty military spouses keeps getting better and better. The government recently announced it will expand the Military Spouse Career Advancement Initiative to include the military spouses of all ranks, which will be a real boost for military spouse education training.

The pilot program began in January and provides military spouses at 18 select installations with Career Advancement Accounts (CAA) - funds which provide eligible military spouses with $3,000 for post-secondary education. And this funding is not to be confused with a loan program: this is a military spouse scholarship opportunity, which means spouses do not need to pay this money back.

The program originally was for spouses whose service member spouses were in grades E-1 through E-5 and O-1 through O-3. Now the program will be open to military spouses of all ranks, allowing more and more men and women to access career training.

The program has proved to be popular at the 18 pilot installations, with more than 900 spouses having started school and begun enjoying their military spouse benefits.

The expansion of the Military Spouse Career Advancement Initiative will also allow spouses to receive money for remedial training and licensing courses, as well as being able to choose from a broader range of career training fields.

A host of federal efforts now, including last fall's Army Family Covenant, are aimed at reducing the stark unemployment numbers that face spouses in all service branches; in time, more well-trained spouses, should translate into more jobs for military spouses.

By helping military spouses with access and funding for career education, it's believed that military spouses can enjoy greater pay, career satisfaction and more stability. And in the end, as it's often been noted, the military family is the leading support system for many Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen.
Allied Schools, www.education4military.com

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Posted by Allied @ 10:14 AM • 0 comments

Consumer Scam Targets Military Spouses

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

The financial magazine Smart Money in its 2007-year-end issue warned its readers of current consumer scams, including one particularly evil scam directed solely at military spouses whose service member spouses are serving overseas in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The scam works like this: thieves call up a military spouse and pretend to be a representative of the American Red Cross. They inform the military spouse that their husband/wife has been wounded in combat and is being flown to Germany for medical care. To ensure that the administrative process goes well, the thieves ask for the service member's social security number and date of birth. Once the callers get this personal information the crooks can easily steal the person's identity and cause all kinds of financial damage.

Earlier this year, the American Red Cross put out a statement warning of this consumer scam, noting that their organization always works through the military and Department of Defense (DOD) - they do not call military spouses directly. The Red Cross strongly urges military families not to give out personal information over the phone to individuals whose credentials or organizational affiliation can't be verified.

This particular consumer scam aside, 2007 was a year in which people became more aware of the needs and concerns of military spouses. The Army announced its Army Family Covenant to support military families, while the DOD and the Department of Labor launched the Military Spouse Career Advancement Initiative to provide grants for military spouse education at select bases.

In addition, some schools that work with military personnel have been implementing military spouse tuition assistance programs. In many cases, when active-duty service members enroll at a school using their Tuition Assistance benefits, schools offer discounts on military spouse education. A few select schools have even begun offering no-charge tuition for military spouses when their service member spouses enroll. Program education for military spouses is an important area that is finally getting the attention it deserves. Military spouses looking into educational options are encouraged to identify themselves to admissions representatives when contacting a school - military spouses can't afford to leave money on the table.

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Posted by Allied @ 2:29 PM • 0 comments

Military Spouses Connect in Cyberspace

Military spouses checked in their "screen names" for the real thing earlier this month as they gathered in North Carolina for SpouseBuzzLive, an event that brought together military spouses who regularly blog on military.com's "Spouse Buzz" page.

The nearly 200 military spouse participants attended panel discussions and lectures on a variety of topics, including how to cope as a military spouse, as well as information on available educational benefits.

A military spouse at the event told the The Fayetteville Observer: "I have told these people some things I don't tell my husband," she continued. "(The blog) is a place to say something to somebody who understands how you feel. It's a safe place to go where they understand and they don't judge you. It's (a family readiness group) without borders."

In addition to the online emotional support, military spouses are also finding career and educational help from both the military and schools. Both the Army and the Marine Corps have recently announced plans to help military families and spouses with the complex challenges they face during the Global War on Terror and the constant deployments it requires.

More and more these days, schools that work with military personnel are discovering the need military spouses have for military spouse tuition assistance. In many cases, when active-duty service members enroll at a school using their Tuition Assistance benefits, schools offer discounts on military spouse education. A few select schools have even begun offering no-charge tuition for military spouses when their service member spouses enroll. Program education for military spouses is an important area that is finally getting the attention it deserves.

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Posted by Allied @ 2:17 PM • 0 comments

Military Spouses Push for a Memorial Honoring their Legacy

Americans rightly acknowledge the sacrifices and heroic deeds of those who serve in the military, but all-too-often the contributions and sacrifices off military spouses are overlooked. This may soon change, however, if a military widow and a military spouse are successful in their goal to have a military spouse monument built in the Washington, D.C., area.

Karie Darga, the widow of a Sailor who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq, and Navy spouse Nicole Alcorn have spearhead the memorial effort. Their efforts got a boost this summer when Rep. Thelma Drake, R-Va., introduced a bill in the House to authorize construction of the monument on public property.

Supporters of the monument expect it to be funded entirely with public funds, with the cost expected to be between $30 and $50 million.

The memorial would be a fitting tribute to the men and women who are truly the backbone of the American service member. During long deployments overseas, military spouses maintain the family finances, care for the children and often work to bring in additional income - all without the daily support of their husbands or wives. Their sacrifices make it possible for military personnel to focus on their mission with the confidence that their family is well-taken care of.

Hope for a memorial coincides with the Army unveiling its new Army Family Covenant, which among other things, acknowledges the sacrifices of military spouses and lays out plans to help them improve resources in the areas of child care, education and career training.

When it comes to education, military spouses can take advantage of tuition assistance for military spouse programs at many schools. Military spouse education is an important element in helping military spouses meet the career and educational goals they set for themselves. Military spouse tuition discounts can be found at many schools serving the educational needs of military spouses.

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Posted by Allied @ 1:49 PM • 0 comments

Scholarship Money for Military Spouse Education

Several years ago the Rand Group surveyed military spouses from four service branches concerning their employment and education opportunities.

In general, the study's findings were disappointing. Among other things, the 2004 study noted that Army spouses were three times more likely than civilian spouses to be unemployed, while 25% of Marine Corps spouses actively seeking work could not locate a job.

Military spouse noted that three major obstacles stopped them from getting career training, and ultimately getting a job: lack of affordable/available childcare, limited education offerings on base at the military distance learning centers and frequent reassignments to new duty-stations, often out of state. The military and the Department of Defense are aware of these issues and have implemented programs to address these needs, for they understand that unhappy military spouses often influence whether an active-duty spouse decides to reenlist.

Click here to learn more about Military Spouse Education and Scholarships



One of the keys to addressing the career woes of military spouses is to make Internet service and computers more available to spouses, opening up the option of military distance learning (online) education, where military spouses can train for a civilian career regardless of where their family is stationed.

One way to help with tuition for online courses is with scholarships from local and national military spouses' clubs. Most bases have a local spouses' club that offers scholarships to dependants and military spouses of service members stationed at their base. Many have websites with deadlines and application information.

Several national organizations also offer scholarships, grants or military education loans; a few examples are included below:

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
Army Emergency Relief
Air Force Aid Society
Coast Guard Mutual Aid

Military spouses can use their scholarship money to take military distance learning classes at accredited online schools. Some schools offer military spouse education discounts, so military spouses should be sure to identify themselves when registering for courses.

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Posted by Allied @ 1:04 PM • 0 comments

Military Spouses Build Nationwide Career with Medical Training

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Military spouses have the opportunity to build a solid career and support their families nationwide with medical career training programs.

Enrolling in an online course provides them with a flexible and rewarding way to prepare for a long-term career in a medical office or at home. With the medical field projected to grow at a steady rate, they have the ability to build a career anywhere in the nation with skills they can take with them wherever they go.

Distance education schools are creating programs tailored to the growing needs of military spouses. These schools recognize the need to provide flexible career training to help these individuals build a career and contribute to the family income. Online courses provide military spouses with the opportunity to learn from the comfort of their home, on their own schedule and at their own pace. They can train anywhere in the world while maintaining the responsibilities of family life. Course discounts can make starting a career affordable and easy.

"We know that the life of a military spouse includes living on a flexible schedule and learning to quickly adapt to change," said George Achenbach, president of Allied Schools. "Online medical training programs help them provide for their families and reach their own career goals while their partners are on duty."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the medical industry will have the strongest employment growth of any industry within the next decade. Continued advances in technology, as well as a growing and aging population, are expected to spur this growth and create opportunities for well-trained individuals.

Distance education schools are tailoring their course offerings to meet this growth by offering career training in areas with high career potential, including medical billing, medical coding, medical transcription, medical administrative assistant, and more. These careers provide military spouses with options when it comes to building a career - they can join a medical office team or work from the convenience of home. There are opportunities in doctors' offices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, and more.

When choosing a distance education school, military spouses should look for live personalized support that is available throughout the duration of their program. It is important that they can reach staff members via phone, e-mail and fax to help at every stage of their training and receive one-on-one support. Job assistance programs can give them the skills to start their new career. From preparing an effective resume and cover letter to conducting a successful interview, they can make a smooth transition into the workplace. Click here to learn more about military spouse scholarships.

"Education providers have a unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of military spouses," said Achenbach."It should be the school's goal to make the process as smooth as possible and provide them with all of the resources they need to benefit their families."

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Posted by Heather @ 9:33 AM • 0 comments

Allied Schools Provides Military Spouses with an Advantage

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Laguna Hills, CA, April 5, 2007 - Allied Schools is working with the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) and the military to provide accredited career training programs to military spouses to help them build their own careers and support their families worldwide. A high-income career is within reach with flexible and convenient distance education courses.

Since 2006, Allied has cultivated courses and developed relationships in the industry to create specialized military spouse programs. The school offers an education that is nationally accredited by DETC, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; and works directly with the U.S. military to make military spouse programs readily available abroad and at home.

"We know that the life of a military spouse includes living on a flexible schedule and learning to quickly adapt to change," said George Achenbach, president of Allied Schools. "Allied wants to help them provide for their families while their partners are on duty and reach their own career goals."

Distance education allows military spouses to train anywhere in the world while maintaining the responsibilities of family life. Online and traditional correspondence courses let them learn from home, on their own schedule and at their own pace. Course discounts make starting a career affordable and easy. If military spouses reside in the same household as someone serving in the military, they can take advantage of exclusive discounts only available to them.

There are 25+ career training courses designed to help them succeed outside of a traditional classroom. There is comprehensive training in the areas of real estate, medical and business. They can use CD-ROMs, videos, DVDs, textbooks and study guides to learn or complete assignments and tests 100% online.

Military spouses have access to live personalized support throughout the duration of their program when they enroll at Allied. The staff is available via phone, e-mail and fax to help at every stage - military spouses are never alone. Job assistance is also available to help with their job search. From preparing an effective resume and cover letter to conducting a successful interview, they will get the skills to make a smooth transition into the workplace.

"Allied has a unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of military spouses," said Achenbach. "We want to make the process as smooth as possible and provide them with all of the resources they need to benefit their families."

About Allied Schools
Allied Schools, Inc., established in 1992, is the nationwide leader when it comes to distance education. It has provided quality instruction to more than 750,000 students in the last 14 years. Students can further their career with career training courses in the areas of real estate, medical and business, or enroll in a high school diploma program to get a solid foundation. Over 50 educational support and student services staff members are on hand to assist students with all of their educational needs.

To learn more about Allied Schools' military education, please visit http://www.education4military.com/ or call (888) 501-5221 to speak with an Admissions Representative.

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Posted by Heather @ 10:22 AM • 0 comments