A wonderful press release was launched this week from Bryant & Stratton College Online.  Once again, this university is helping those families who are supporting loved ones that currently serve in the military.  This is part one of a two part report.  The follow up will list those candidates that won the awards.

Bryant & Stratton College Online announced today that it has awarded scholarships to more than 55 military spouses through its Salute to Spouses Scholarship Program since it was launched in March 2010. The scholarships offer spouses of active duty military personnel the opportunity to advance their education and become more competitive in the modern job market.

Salute to Spouses scholarships are for online degree programs and offered through select campuses at Bryant & Stratton College. Bryant & Stratton College is regionally accredited by the Middles States Commission on Higher Education and was named a 2011 Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs Magazine. Bryant & Stratton College is an approved institution for the training of U.S. veterans and their families in accordance with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs through the Service members Opportunities College (SOC) consortium* and is also CLEP, DANTES, ECE and other SOC Colleges approved. The Online Education division offers five online bachelor's degree programs and eleven online associate's degree programs.

Bryant & Stratton College Online launched the Salute to Spouses Scholarship Program after the Department of Defense suspended the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program (MyCAA) last spring. While MyCAA has since resumed, Bryant & Stratton College Online continues to offer Salute to Spouses scholarships to eligible military spouses. The response to the program has been so positive that the program has been expanded to the three Milwaukee area campuses as well as the Virginia Beach/Hampton campuses.

The success of the Salute to Spouses Scholarship Program also prompted Bryant & Stratton College Online to start www.SalutetoSpouses.com, a career and education information resource website for military spouses, in April 2011. The expansion of the site increases the resources available to military spouses interested in earning their degree or building a sustainable career. The content on SalutetoSpouses.com, includes how-to articles, tips, advice columns and personal accounts and is created and edited by military spouses.

“Bryant & Stratton College Online is committed to providing career and education resources to active duty military, veterans and their families,” said Scott Traylor, Associate Campus Director for Online Education at Bryant & Stratton College. “Military families often have an unpredictable home life due to the possibility reassignment or deployment at any time. Online education allows military spouses the opportunity to continue their degree uninterrupted because the coursework is not limited to a location and instead can be completed from anywhere.”

The Salute to Spouses Scholarship Program awards military spouses $600 (for part-time students) or $1,200 (for full-time students) per semester for online degree programs offered by Bryant & Stratton College. The maximum scholarship award a recipient can receive is $6,000. All recipients had to meet requirements set forth by Bryant & Stratton College. To qualify, applicants must have a copy of their spouse’s orders, a copy of their marriage certificate and a high school diploma (or equivalent). Scholarship recipients must meet Bryant & Stratton College scholarship eligibility requirements, maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher and must stay enrolled semester to semester. More information, including the application form, is available at www.SalutetoSpouses.com.