1. The Effects of Socio-Political Changes in Eastern Europe on Military Education.
- Author
-
Ostertag, Vesna
- Abstract
Reunification of Germany, democratic changes in Eastern European countries, and new government policies of the Soviet Union will lead to the reduction of U.S. troops in West Germany. As a Department of Defense contractor providing associate degrees to soldiers in Europe, Central Texas College (CTC) will be severely affected by the troop reductions. CTC administrators have initiated actions that will slow down the possible removal of the institution from Europe. As a vocational college with a wide selection of specialized programs, CTC's courses can easily be related to specific military jobs, as now required by the armed services. A proposal is being drafted to offer a transition program that will assist service members who are leaving the Army. Training of child care personnel has been requested by military communities. With good planning and the ability to respond to changing requirements, CTC has not experienced any hardships as a result of the political changes in Europe. However, severe shortages in tuition assistance funds have made it more difficult for individual soldiers who wish to pursue undergraduate degrees. Tuition benefits for graduate students were discontinued in February 1990. Students are being encouraged to apply for Pell grants and Stafford loans and to take advantage of the GI Bill benefits. However, the number of students using financial aid will never be large enough to offset enrollment losses caused by shortage of tuition assistance money. (16-item bibliography) (CML)
- Published
- 1990