William Carey University and the Mississippi National Guard announced the WCU Military Tuition program Sept. 30 during a signing ceremony at Bass Chapel, Hattiesburg campus.
Maj. Gen. Janson D. Boyles, adjutant general of Mississippi, and WCU President Dr. Tommy King signed the formal agreement before a small gathering of military and community supporters. Under the program, Mississippi guardsmen and their dependents can receive a reduced tuition rate of $250 per credit hour in qualifying graduate and undergraduate programs.
“We are so honored to have you all on our campus this morning. Our special guest, Major General Janson Boyles, leads both the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard in the state of Mississippi, more than 12,000 citizen soldiers who are prepared to serve,” King said.
King also recognized several other supporters in the audience, including retired Maj. Gen. Jeff Hammond, director of veteran and military affairs at the University of Southern Mississippi, and Col. Bobby Ginn, commanding officer of Camp Shelby.
Maj. Gen. Boyles spoke on behalf of Mississippi National Guard families all over the state.
“Providing tuition assistance for the Mississippi National Guard, to encourage our soldiers and their families, who can also participate in this program, this is very important to us,” Boyles said.
“We often talk about resiliency of the soldier, and this is part of our resiliency program. If we can help our soldiers get a better education, it makes them better soldiers. And helping our families become more educated supports those soldiers and makes them better, too. Thank you for this opportunity.”
Active-duty military and their dependents are also eligible to apply for the reduced tuition rate, $250 per credit hour, available under the WCU Military Tuition program.
For more information, visit www.wmcarey.edu or call the registrar’s office at (601) 318-6195.