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PNGAS SETS 2021 CONFERENCE
November 5th - 6th 2021
PNGAS ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Lancaster Convention Center
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The PNGAS Guard Friendly High Schools
Promoting the High Schools exceeding the standards
established for the designation, PNGAS Guard Friendly High School
(Fort Indiantown Gap - Annville, PA) The Pennsylvania National Guard Associations (PNGAS) is pleased to announce the High Schools receiving the PNGAS Guard Friendly High School designation.
To optimize taxpayer funds and the positive impacts of these programs for recruitment and retention, PNGAS continues to collect, share and promote best practices among K-12, colleges, universities, trade, certification and training schools.
Accordingly, the PNGAS Guard Friendly High School designation and logo are designed to showcase and promote the High Schools using a range of best practices for the recruitment and promotion of members and veterans of the Pennsylvania National Guard and their families.
“With the successes of the PNGAS Guard Friendly School program, we want to spur the same synergies and best practices with High Schools. stated Kathleen Fabrizi, Executive Director, PNGAS. “Our PNGAS Education Action Council ("EAC") Chairman, George Schwartz, Brigadier General (Retired), US Army and the inspired leaders on the EAC are delivering great awareness, optics and collaboration for Higher Education and we are excited to share best practices with our High Schools. Thank you! We hope to recognize as many qualifying High Schools as possible with the PNGAS Guard-Friendly High Schools designation.”
The List:
High Schools earning the designation,
PNGAS Guard Friendly High School
as of December 15, 2020
Big Spring High School
Bucktail High School
Carbondale Area Jr-Sr HS
Central MontCo Technical High School
Central Mountain High School
Commonwealth Charter Academy Charter School
Conestoga Valley High School
Cumberland Perry Area Vocational Technical School
Frankford High School
Governor Mifflin High School
Greater Johnstown Career & Technology Center
Halifax Area High School
Harry S Truman High School
Indiana County Technology Center
Lake-Lehman High School
Lebanon High School
Martin Luther King High School
Morrisville High School
Norristown Area High School
Owen J. Roberts High School
Parkland High School
Riverside High School
Phoenixville Area High School
Radnor High School
Red Lion Area Senior High School
Spring Grove Area High School
Steelton Highspire High School
The Philadelphia Military Academy
Valley Forge Military Academy
West Mifflin Area High School
West Scranton High School
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THE PNGAS GUARD-FRIENDLY SCHOOLS
Colleges, universities and trade schools meeting and exceeding the standards
established for the designation, PNGAS Guard Friendly School
(Fort Indiantown Gap - Annville, PA) – The PNGAS Guard-Friendly School standards were designed to recognize colleges, universities and trade schools which meet or exceed ten (10) baseline criteria that help create a supportive learning environment for members of the Pennsylvania Guard, their spouses, families and veterans in pursuing post-secondary degrees.
The active and participatory PNGAS Education Action Council is chaired by Brigadier General (Retired) George Schwartz. Through his leadership, volunteers from some of the state’s leading colleges and universities voluntarily review applications, guidelines and recommend approval decisions and improvement criteria for each applicant.
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 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). Members of the Pennsylvania National Guard can use EAP funds at one of 488 Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) approved schools. Presently, the EAP is roughly a $32,000 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 roughly a $32,000 tuition benefit for spouses and/or children of a Guard member that reenlists for 6-years.
“We are very confident the designation, PNGAS Guard-Friendly School, will keep producing immediate and long-term benefits and synergies for students, faculty, 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 state or federal government, the US Military or the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
The List:
Colleges, Universities and Trade Schools
earning the designation,
PNGAS Guard Friendly School
as of December 15, 2020
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Central Penn College
Clarion University
Community College of Allegheny County
DeSales University
DeVry University
Drexel University
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Grantham University
Gwynedd Mercy University
HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College
Immaculata University
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Lebanon Valley College
Lehigh Carbon Community College
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Montgomery County Community College
Moravian College
Muhlenberg College
Penn State University - School of Public Affairs (Harrisburg)
Penn State University (Abington)
Penn State University (Beaver)
Penn State University (Berks)
Penn State University (Greater Allegheny)
Penn State University- (Harrisburg)
Penn State University (Lehigh Valley)
Penn State University (Mont Alto)
Penn State University (Schuylkill)
Penn State University (Scranton)
Penn State University (University Park & World Campus)
Penn State University (York)
Pennsylvania College of Technology
Robert Morris University
Saint Joseph's University
Shippensburg University
Slippery Rock University
Troy University
University of Pennsylvania, College of Liberal and Professional Studies
University of Pittsburgh at Bradford
Valley Forge Military College
Villanova University
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PNGAS Veterans Action Council Leads Passage of
The PNGAS Veterans Action Council, chaired by Brig. Gen. Jerry Otterbein (Ret.) led a coalition of dozens of veterans groups to help secure passage of Senate Bill 952, sponsored by State Senator Mike Regan.
Senate Bill 952 was landmark legislation championed by The Adjutant General, Anthony Carrelli
This historic legislation modernizes the definition of "veteran" in Pennsylvania. For the first time ever, the legislation not only expands the "veteran-definition" to Guard members that have completed their first 6-year enlistment, but also extends Pennsylvania veteran's preference laws to these veterans. The legislation also clarifies the transfer of veteran's preference to a surviving spouse and spouse of a disabled veteran.
This legislation was a priority of the 2020 PNGAS Legislative Agenda.
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Thank you,
Kathleen Fabrizi
Executive Director
The Pennsylvania National Guard Associations
The Pennsylvania National Guard Foundation
