Colorado Tech grants full scholarships to Wounded Soldiers

Twenty-five Wounded Service Members at Walter Reed Army Medical Center Receive Full Scholarships to Colorado Technical University Online

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Twenty-five United States service men and women at Walter Reed Army Medical Center have been awarded full Wounded Warrior Scholarships from Colorado Technical University Online (CTU Online). Recipients were chosen by a ten-person scholarship selection board including former military officers and Career Education Corporation educators and chaired by Tammy Duckworth, Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, a Major in the Illinois Army National Guard, and a Wounded Warrior herself. The recipients, who come from across the country, were honored at a dinner on March 8, 2008, at Walter Reed, which was attended by General Richard A. Cody, the Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. Nineteen of the recipients will pursue associate degrees, five will pursue their bachelor’s, and one recipient will enter a master’s program. In developing the one-time scholarship program, CTU Online worked with the Helping Our Heroes Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides a way for donated funds and services to directly reach our injured service men and women.

"Our service members fight for our freedoms and give us the opportunity to pursue our dreams. When these brave men and women come home, they deserve to have every opportunity, including a quality education,” said Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Director L. Tammy Duckworth. “I was honored to help select the Wounded Warrior scholarship recipients. These 25 young service members have their entire lives ahead of them and, after reading their applications, I know that they will continue to excel."

All tuition costs, course materials and fees are included in each scholarship, along with a laptop computer for each scholarship recipient. Pearson Learning Solutions, part of Pearson Education, will underwrite the education material costs of any course taken through Career Education Corporation/CTU Online that uses Pearson materials (such as text books or e-books). Apple will provide a MacBook computer to each student.

Candice Reed, a Wounded Warrior currently recovering at Walter Reed, will use her scholarship to pursue an associate degree in accounting and, upon completing her education, will be the second member of her family to have accomplished that task. The first was her step-father, an engineer, whom she considers a role-model. Reed enlisted in the Army immediately following high school graduation and the experience has increased her self-confidence and discipline, two traits that will serve her well as she enters the civilian world. She does not anticipate that life will be easy going forward, but she is confident that she can overcome obstacles as they come.

“The stories these service men and women shared were truly inspiring—recalling challenges they faced as civilians, adversities experienced in combat, and recognizing that they must now adjust their aspirations for the future,” said Dr. Wallace Pond, Chancellor, CTU Online. “Soldiers who have pledged to serve and protect their country are now faced with yet another challenging set of circumstances, and it is our hope that the education they receive from CTU will provide them with new skills to reach their goals.”

About Colorado Technical University and CTU Online

Since 1965, Colorado Technical University (CTU) – an institution of higher learning that provides career-oriented education by teaching applied industry-current programs -- has given students a pathway towards personal, academic, and professional advancement. Colorado Tech offers degree-track programs at the Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral levels in a wide range of fields of study. For more information on CTU, visit www.coloradotech.edu. Through its web-based virtual campus, CTU Online, the university offers degree programs that are 100% online. For additional information on CTU Online, visit www.ctuonline.edu. Colorado Technical University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association.

Colorado Technical University is a member of the Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO) network of schools, colleges and universities. For additional information, please visit www.careered.com.

About Pearson Education

Pearson (NYSE: PSO) is the global leader in educational publishing, assessment, information and services, helping people of all ages to learn at their own pace, in their own way. The company is home to such respected brands as Scott Foresman, Prentice Hall, PowerSchool, Addison Wesley, Allyn & Bacon, Longman and many others. Pearson’s comprehensive offerings help inform targeted instruction and intervention so that success is within reach of every student. Pearson’s other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group.

About Helping our Heroes Foundation

Helping Our Heroes Foundation (HOHF) is a 501(c)(3) whose mission is to provide support for those service members wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). The foundation was created at the request of the United States Army after it took Karen Theobald Conlin, HOHF President, to visit troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. An all volunteer organization, HOHF has no paid staff but rather works with a volunteer contingent. Services provided include: air travel grants, financial grants, educational and career support, morale events and mentoring. For further information please visit www.hohf.org.