ANNVILLE, Pa., April 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Maj. Gen. Tony Carrelli, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA), sent Letters to the PA General Assembly requesting support for Governor Tom Wolf’s proposed PA GI Bill, or Military Family Education Program (MFEP). If passed, the proposed education benefit would be the first of its kind in the nation.

The benefit will enable members of the Pennsylvania National Guard (PNG) to earn college tuition for their spouse and children by re-enlisting for an additional six-year term of service. The benefits would need to be used at a Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) approved educational institution, and at the tuition rate set by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).

“We hope that Pennsylvania lawmakers enact this legislation to support our families who serve and sacrifice right alongside our members in the National Guard,” said Carrelli. “This strong, far-reaching benefit will help secure our families’ educational future and also greatly increase our retention which has eroded during many years of increased service across the commonwealth and around the world.”

Currently, PNG members are eligible for the Education Assistance Program with their initial service obligation of six years that provides them a non-transferable educational benefit. MFEP eligibility would occur after a PNG member’s initial obligation has been fulfilled and upon committing to an additional six years of PNG service. MFEP will provide for 10 semesters of tuition-free education for family member(s).

For more information about the DMVA, visit us online at www.dmva.pa.gov or follow us at www.facebook.com/padmva or www.twitter.com/padmva. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Joseph Butera, 717-861-2178

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SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs