Administered by the Texas Workforce Commission, the $3 million workforce development initiative is designed to recognize the exceptional knowledge and skills gained by military service members and award them college credits for their military experience.
“Lone Star College was chosen to participate in the program not only because we have a high veteran population in our service area, but because we are fiercely committed to helping educate those who have and are continuing to defend our freedom,” said Dr. Richard Carpenter, chancellor of Lone Star College System.
Overall, seven Texas community colleges were selected to participate in the College Credit for Heroes program. The colleges will provide models for awarding college credit by evaluating military training, including testing and prior learning assessments, which other Texas colleges may replicate. There will be a focus on allied health careers, and the initiative will partner with the Military Education Training Center in San Antonio to provide current active duty service members with an accelerated degree plan.
LSCS received $544,000 to chair the Texas Inter-College Council on Veterans, comprised of Alamo Colleges, Central Texas College, Lee College, San Jacinto College, Houston Community College, and Temple College. The colleges will gather and share best practices.
In addition, LSCS will support, test and evaluate the College Credit for Heroes website to ensure the appropriate functioning and award of college credit for service members and veterans.
According to the Texas Veterans Commission, Texas is home to 1.8 million veterans, including 450,000 who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. College Credit for Heroes helps address high unemployment rates that are seen for veterans who served on active duty after September 2001.
“Our veterans are an important asset to our community. They bring a whole new set of skills and knowledge,” said Carpenter. “Lone Star College, along with College Credit for Heroes, can help our veterans go from serving their country afar to graduating with a degree.”
For more information about the College Credit for Heroes program, call Educational Partnerships and P16 Initiatives at 281-290-3709.
With more than 69,000 students in credit classes for spring 2011, and a total enrollment of more than 85,000, Lone Star College System is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area, and the fastest-growing community college system in Texas. Dr. Richard Carpenter is the chancellor of LSCS, which consists of five colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, and LSC-Tomball, six centers, LSC-University Park, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online. To learn more visit LoneStar.edu.
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