Browse > Home / In The News / New Educational Opportunities For Military Members & Their Families

New Educational Opportunities For Military Members & Their Families

May 3, 2009

Obtaining a college education is important in today’s world, in order to learn skills that will make a person marketable in American society. The military has recognized this and has made things like the GI Bill available to help military members obtain a college education. Location of higher educational institutions hasn’t always been optimal when a service member or their family has been exploring obtaining a college education. Sometimes, it has required a move in order for them to obtain a higher education. That has however eased with the advent of online courses that many colleges offer, but it still can be difficult for some.

Dr. Mike McKinney,(left), Chancellor of Texas A & M University, and Army Secretary Pete Geren, sign a transfer of land agreement, April 30, at the Brumidi Room on Capitol Hill. The agreement will allow for 662 acres of federal land to be used by Texas A & M to build a Central Texas campus in the city of Killeen for Soldiers and family members stationed at Fort Hood. Photo credit C. Todd Lopez

In the Fort Hood area, it will soon be much easier for military members and their family to obtain a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree. On April 30th, Army Secretary Pete Geren signed a transfer of land agreement with Texas A & M College. The Army officially gave more than one square mile of land from Fort Hood to the college, for them to build a new college campus near Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. Not only will this gift of land to Texas A & M mean more opportunities for military families in the area, but it will also offer more opportunities for the greater Fort Hood area as a whole, as well as provide employment opportunities in the area, for the military families and civilians in the area as well. This will also just enhance the relationship that has existed for many years between Texas A & M and the Army, that has spanned more than a century.1

“The long-term payoff for the Army is going to be the educational opportunity that our Soldiers and their families, their spouses and their kids, are going to have at their doorstep,” said Secretary of the Army Pete Geren. “It builds on a shared rich history that Texas A&M and the Army have — it goes back to the founding of Texas A&M — Texas A.M.C. This builds on that rich history and it’s an important initiative for Texas A&M to be able (to bring) this great institute to central Texas.”2

The new college, to be known as Texas A & M University-Central Texas will allow first class educational opportunities for people residing in the greater Fort Hood area. For myself, this is a plus, as I’ve been considering going back to school to finish up my Masters Degree. This will make it that much easier for me to do so. For military spouses in the Fort Hood area, this will provide them with even more opportunities to obtain an education that will enable them to obtain employment, not only in the Fort Hood area, but elsewhere, as their spouses PCS to other installations. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Present at the signing of the land transfer, were Army Secretary Pete Geren, Texas A & M Chancellor Dr. Mike McKinney and Texas Congressman Chet Edwards. Edwards expressed his approval and pleasure in the transfer.

“It’s a win for Army Soldiers and their families who will have an opportunity to get a world class education at an affordable price right here in the backyard at Fort Hood,” Edwards said. “It’s a win for central Texas because having a higher education instution of this caliber is always a great investment in a community’s future.”3

  1. http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/04/30/20417-land-gift-to-university-means-opportunity-for-fort-hood-families/ [↩]
  2. http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/04/30/20417-land-gift-to-university-means-opportunity-for-fort-hood-families/ [↩]
  3. http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/04/30/20417-land-gift-to-university-means-opportunity-for-fort-hood-families/ [↩]

Written by Terri · Filed Under In The News 

Comments

2 Responses to “New Educational Opportunities For Military Members & Their Families”

  1. Austin, Texas News and Information » Blog Archive » Other lure manufacturers with Central Texas ties - Austin American … on May 3rd, 2009 2:36 pm

    [...] New Educational Opportunities For Military Members & Their … By Terri The agreement will allow for 662 acres of federal land to be used by Texas A & M to build a Central Texas campus in the city of Killeen for Soldiers and family members stationed at Fort Hood. Photo credit C. Todd Lopez … A Soldier's Mind - https://soldiersmind.com/ [...]

    Reply - Quote
  2. AC Ajaccio » Cowichan Tribes on May 4th, 2009 7:09 am

    [...] New Educational Opportunities For Military Members & Their … [...]

    Reply - Quote

Got something to say?