Guaranteed Transfers from Community Colleges to Prestigious Business Schools

After faithfully serving our country, members of the armed forces may contemplate their next career move. If you are considering attending a community college to further your training and education, you are in store for good financial news! There are a variety of programs and scholarships specifically designed to help fund veterans pursuing higher education.

Federal Funding for Veterans

Before you enroll in a community college, it is important to verify that the campus qualifies for veterans assistance. For example, Kennebec Valley Community College in Maine has received approval from the Maine State Approving Agency for Veterans Educations Programs, which qualifies their veteran students to receive aid under the GI Bill. You can always contact the financial aid office at the community college you are considering to verify that they are eligible for funding from the GI Bill.

The federal government provides many funding opportunities for veterans looking to further their education. Some of the programs include the Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty, the Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve, as well as the Reserve Education Assistance Program. However, depending upon your eligibility, the Post 9/11 GI Bill may be the best option. To compare which program would be ideal for you, utilize the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Benefits Comparison Tool.

The Post 9/11 GI Bill is specifically available to veterans who served for at least 90 days on or after September 11, 2001, and received an honorable

Are you taking full advantage of your financial aid opportunities? If you have not yet applied for the Pell Grant, then you may be missing out on millions in federal funding that is currently being unused. In fact, in California alone, more than 500,000 community college students were eligible for the Pell Grant, but simply did not apply for it, according to the Institute for College Access and Success.

As a grant, the Pell Grant does not need to be repaid, making it one of the best financial aid opportunities. In addition, the Obama administration plans to inject another $40 billion into the program, as reported by the Washington Post.

College Scholarships explains the Pell Grant as follows:

"What we know today as the Pell Grant, began as the Higher Education Act of 1965. Proposed by then President Lyndon Johnson and passed by Congress, the HEA provided financial aid to students from low income families who would otherwise have been unable to afford a college education. In 1972 the HEA was reformed under the oversight of Senator Claiborne Pell. The Higher Education Amendments of 1972 reauthorized the original act, while further alterations and amendments made in 1978 helped to form what we now recognize as the federal Pell Grant program. During the amendments of 1978 the program was renamed to honor the dedication of Senator Claiborne Pell in his pursuit to provide access to higher

Health insurance is notoriously expensive in the United States, and as Americans struggle to maintain their basic health insurance coverage, many have eliminated their vision and dental insurance policies. However, proper eye care is an essential part of overall health. A person who does not have the proper eyeglasses can suffer from a severely compromised quality of life.

Fortunately, several community colleges with optometry training programs are beginning to offer free clinics, training for community college students, and free or low-cost services to residents in need.

Free Services Benefit Local Residents on a Budget

Ophthalmic technician Joy Fountain, who organizes a Community Eyecare Day along with Michigan eye care chain Advanced Eyecare Professionals, tells the Grand Rapids Press that seeing people in need who are helped by the free clinic days makes all the planning and extra effort worth it. She tells the story of one woman who came to the clinic wearing her son’s taped-together glasses, even though her son’s glasses were for a nearsighted person while the woman was farsighted.

Another woman, whose free exam revealed that she had glaucoma and who was able to receive corrective laser surgery from the clinic, tells the Grand Rapids Press that if it weren’t for the volunteers at the Community Eyecare Day, “I wouldn’t have glasses, and I probably would have lost my eyesight.”

This video offers a look at the Opthamalic Assistant training program at College of DuPage.

The “green jobs” that politicians have been talking about for the past several years may be starting to arrive. As the Grand Rapids Press reports, Michigan will likely soon be home to a new advanced battery-manufacturing plant run by Fortu Powercell Inc., a German-Swiss-based advanced battery manufacturer. The new plant should create up to 726 jobs in the coming years, according to state economists.

This spells great news for prospective community college students looking for the appropriate training in the green technology field.

This video describes the ATRE Energy Storage Curriculum in the California community college system.

New Battery Plants Require a New Kind of Worker

“Clean Room” Environment Means Fewer Environmental Pollutants

Advanced battery-manufacturing plants will require specially trained technicians because of their unique environment. The Grand Rapids Press reports that the lithium-ion battery plant is a “clean room” environment, meaning a controlled work environment that, in contrast to typical manufacturing plants, has low levels of environmental pollutants. Work in these plants will include less of the hands-on duties that are seen in traditional auto manufacturing plants, but more monitoring of machines.

Plant Technicians Will Need Some Specialized Training

In a January 2010 Grand Rapids Press article, lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant manager Elizabeth Rolinski said that the jobs in these new plants will involve “a little less of the repetitive assembly work” and more of “learning how to