Lander University and the South Carolina National Guard today announced new special tuition rates for Guardsmen and their families who choose to enroll at Lander. Effective for incoming new students beginning Spring 2019, the military rates are unique among South Carolina's public higher education institutions.
During a brief ceremony held on the university campus, Lander President Dr. Richard Cosentino and Robert E. Livingston Jr., the Adjutant General for South Carolina, signed a memorandum acknowledging the special savings, which were approved by Lander's Board of Trustees at their June 2018 meeting.
"When you have great people in an organization like the South Carolina National Guard, we as leaders want to make them individually successful. For their civilian and military careers, higher education is a much-needed commodity. Many times, they cannot afford that education, so special tuition rates at universities like Lander are a key element to that process," said Gen. Livingston.
"We have had the privilege of witnessing many of our students serve the needs of our state and nation. This program helps us ensure access to an exceptional and affordable education for National Guard and active duty personnel and members of military families," said Dr. Cosentino.
The military tuition rates will provide:
Chris Giles, director of Lander's Military and Veteran Services, said that members of the S.C. National Guard may also qualify for the Guard's College Assistance Program (CAP), which provides an additional savings of $2,250 per semester on top of Lander's new military tuition rate. "Lander's tuition is already among the lowest for four-year colleges and universities in the state," he said. "When you factor in these new military rates - especially for Guardsmen who also qualify for CAP - it translates into significant savings for our military personnel and their families."
The military tuition rates become effective Jan. 1, 2019, and Lander will begin accepting applications on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. To qualify for the rate, applicants must be incoming new students who have applied and been accepted to Lander University, and they must be able to provide documentation of their status as active duty or honorably discharged from the S.C. National Guard or U.S. Armed Forces. For the military family rate, applicants must be able to provide documentation of their relationship to a service member (active duty or honorably discharged).
To submit applications for the special rate, interested personnel should contact Lander's Office of Military and Veteran Services at (864) 388-8331 or cgiles@lander.edu. Additional details on qualifications and the types of documentation accepted is available on Lander's website at www.lander.edu/militarytuition.
The special military tuition rates come on the heels of Lander being named among the top 10 best regional colleges for veterans in the South by U.S. News and World Report, as well as ranking 15th in College Consensus' best colleges for veterans nationwide.
"Lander is a school of choice not just because of their tuition costs and their acceptance of veterans," explained Gen. Livingston. "It's a great institution with very high standards, and helps people be successful with what they're trying to do with their lives."