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Online Learning Provides Flexible Options for Georgia's Military and Veterans



2018, Vol. 3

 Georgia has approximately 100,000 active duty military service members and 750,000 veterans combining for about 8.5 percent of the total state population. Military students represent an important eCore student population. These students have outpaced overall eCore enrollment growth for the past three fiscal years. 
The majority of the 23 eCore partner institutions had military students taking eCore courses in FY 2018. All 26 of the University System of Georgia colleges and universities provide a dedicated space for military-affiliated students and devote resources to the academic success of this population (University System of Georgia Military Affairs, 2018).

 Military students include active duty personnel, the National Guard, reserves, and veterans. Active duty military students may have access to Tuition Assistance (TA) through their branch of service. These funds generally cover tuition but not book costs. eCore, with its Open Education Resources, provides these service members an opportunity to earn college credit, funded through TA, with no out of pocket costs for books. 

 Veterans are generally also adult learners with work and family obligations. eCore provides an online option for these "on the go" student veterans. Our military students achieved a 70.44 percent ABC rate and over 92 percent course completion rate for FY 2018. These results are comparable with the general eCore student population. These students not only succeed but also continue to enrich learning by sharing their worldwide experiences. 

 Randy Blackmon, Director of Enrollment and Strategic Projects
rblackmo@westga.edu, 678-839-4898

 Karen Lingrell, Associate Director for Collaborative Programs
klingrel@westga.edu, 678-839-5278

 Greg Heller, Senior Enrollment Manager
gheller@westga.edu, 678-839-3930

 References:
University System of Georgia Military Affairs. Retrieved, July 2018.

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