Ashworth College News & Events

Distance Education and Ashworth College offers military-friendly education options

NORCROSS, Georgia – December 30, 2008 – There may not be another profession that totally involves the entire family like the military. It impacts almost every aspect of everyone's life. From neighbors, family and friends, to education and careers. Even favorite restaurants and the type of clothing dictated by local climate.

Military families often have to move from their home states when service members are transferred to another duty-station. Whether a non-commissioned officer looking to advance, a spouse wanting to gain the skills and credentials necessary to begin or advance their career, or a child starting up at a new school, military families face significant challenges when it comes to their education.

The educational benefits for the enlisted are legendary. Beginning in 1944 with the GI Bill, young men and women have joined the service to pay for college or vocational training after discharge. Since that time, several organizations and programs have been created to provide educational assistance and support to service members – Defense Activity for Non-traditional Education Support (DANTES), American Council of Education (A.C.E.), and Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC).

But what about the rest of the military family? For the adults, not only is the transferring of credits a potential concern, for the frequently mobile, they are often faced with out-of-state tuition fees. And there's no guarantee of finishing their program before the next move. For the children it's not only having to adjust to a new school, but making friends as well.

The Department of Defense has begun to address the needs of the military spouse. Established in 2006, the Career Advancement Accounts (CAA) program provides assistance to those seeking to gain the skills and credentials necessary to begin or advance their career. The pilot program covers the costs of training and education, enabling participants to earn a degree or credential in in-demand, portable fields in almost any community across the country.

The CAA can be used to pay up to $3,000 in fees for one year, and may be renewed for one additional year, for a total two-year account amount of up to $6,000 per spouse. Applicants must meet basic requirements, which include having a high school diploma or GED and not currently receiving training assistance funded by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Applicants must also be currently married to an active-duty servicemember/sponsor assigned to or deployed from a participating installation in one of eight states & has a minimum of 1 year of service at the current installation (CA, FL, GA, NC, CO, WA, HI, ME).

Distance education offers educational options for military families

When it comes to meeting the educational needs of military families, there are three key areas that must be addressed – affordability, portability and flexibility – with many considering distance education to be the ideal solution.

In one form or another, distance learning has been providing educational options since the 1700s. Today, institutions like Ashworth College (and its Career School and High School divisions) provide correspondence and e-learning programs to students wanting to continue or advance their education while balancing family and career -- a perfect combination for the military family.

According to the Distance Education and Training Council, one of Ashworth's accrediting agencies, more than 5 million students in the United States are currently enrolled in distance education and 95% of students studying with a DETC accredited school achieved their educational goals.

"DETC accredited institutions recognize that time is a major consideration to military families, making distance education a highly effective way to learn new job skills and trades efficiently, without leaving the base or the comfort of your own home, said DETC Executive Director Michael P. Lambert.

Not only can these programs be significantly less expensive than its brick and mortar counterpart, study is self-paced, without deadlines or schedules. Additionally, students can start a class in one city, take the test in another country and communicate with fellow students and instructors via phone, email or chat whenever and wherever necessary.

"Many of our students come from diverse backgrounds and situations – often juggling work, family and finances to improve their lives through education," said Milton Miller, Ashworth Ed.D., Ashworth Vice President of Education. "This experience makes us well-suited to address the specific requirements of the military family."

Distance education opens up new opportunities for military spouses

The search for employment is a daunting task for anyone in the job market. Finding employment opportunities in a specific field can be even more challenging for military dependants. Degrees and certifications may be required, interviews must be conducted, background checks completed, references contacted, and licenses issued…especially when moving from state to state (or country).

It's true that some bases and posts are located in or near metro areas where employment options are plentiful. However, many military families find themselves living in small cities and towns that do not require such a large and varied work force. Additionally, longevity is another resume characteristic difficult to come by as a military spouse and because military spouses are usually the most recently hired and face the risk of losing their jobs if companies decide to downsize.

"Ashworth offers many programs in career areas that lend themselves to the military lifestyle. Childhood education, healthcare, computer technology, just to name a few," said Dr. Lisa Bryde, Director of Ashworth High School and Career School Diploma Program Development. "Because our accredited programs are self-paced, students can study whenever it is convenient to them. And because we are accessible anywhere in the world, 365/24/7, our students able to achieve their diplomas and degrees quickly and without interruption."

In addition to employment basics like salary and wages, working hours versus personal time, military spouses are also concerned by how work affects their family's quality of life. Military personnel have unpredictable work schedules and after their normal work duties, there are military functions that often require the service members' attendance. This makes quality of life a top priority among military spouses seeking employment.

"DETC accredited institutions like Ashworth, are in a great position to assist military spouses reach their goals by offering low-cost, highly-effective distance education training courses, especially now with the government's new Military Spouse Career Advancement Initiative," said Lambert. "Military spouses don't need to find a babysitter at the last minute, skip a family dinner to get to class on time, or quit their current job. Rather they can start applying their education knowledge on the job or in a new career while studying in their spare time.

For these reasons, many military spouses consider career training or re-training as a viable solution as long as it fits within the constraints of the military lifestyle. Distance education institutions such as Ashworth Career School and Ashworth College are poised to address these educational needs with a variety of military-friendly programs that are both affordable and portable.

Distance education provides continuity for high school students.

It's a familiar story. Military kids leaving behind their friends at one base, and then having to re-adjust at a new school. Sometimes more than once during a school year. Military parents are sensitive, but when the transfer order comes in - military personnel have no choice but to start packing.

According to a U.S. Department of Defense report, there are well over a million military kids attending U.S. public schools, and that number is expected to rise. Second only to family, school is the most important stabilizing force in the lives of young people. It's not uncommon for military children to move as many as 15 times before graduating from high school.

In addition to the expected concerns families face when making a move (housing, cost-of-living, etc.) military parents also contend with a variety of issues when it comes to education for their children. Quality of education, busing, transfer credits/credit recovery, student safety, special education programs, to name a few.

Education curriculum and education requirements can vary tremendously between states and between school districts. However, for service members, distance education is one way to ensure that their high school children's education isn't interrupted each time a new duty station calls. Whether based in California or Germany, parents can feel confident that their child is receiving a consistent, accredited high school diploma.

Distance education institutions like Ashworth High School can provide serious relief for military families with high school age children. Students have the option of receiving a diploma from Ashworth or quickly making up lost credits. Ashworth High School is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and offers diplomas at the general education or college preparatory level – either correspondence or online.

"Transferring schools is challenging for any family, especially when it involves the military. Not only are there quality considerations, but social concerns as well." said Dr. Bryde. "A key benefit of distance education is that it is portable. The student continues his or her studies regardless of how often or where the family moves."

"Another benefit is that Ashworth's program focuses only on academic subjects -- English, mathematics, social studies, science, business, technology, foreign language. Parents don't have to worry about lost credits associated with electives," she added. "Many of our high school students actually graduate ahead of time."

About Ashworth College

Ashworth College, a leader in distance education, offers active duty military personnel and military spouses worldwide more than 100 career-focused high school, career school, associates, bachelor's and master's online diploma, certificate, and degree programs that are affordable and conducive to military life. Ashworth is a S.O.C. Institutional member, accepts A.C.E . credits and is approved for GI/VA education benefits, DANTES, MyCAA and GoArmyEd. Ashworth also offers specialized programs to include corporate partners, and homeschoolers.

Headquartered in Norcross, GA, Ashworth is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), a division of the US Department of Education. Ashworth High School is also accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA). For more information visit AshworthCollege.edu.

Press Contact:
Richard Orr
Ashworth College
publicity@ashworthcollege.edu
(770) 729-8400