JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Active duty service members will be able to explore higher
education opportunities at their fingertips when the Department of Defense
hosts a Virtual Education Fair Nov. 19.
Service members can register and participate in the online
fair, which will be from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time Nov. 19, at
http://dodeducationfair.com. Service members must register before the start of
the fair.
Laurie Murphy, 802nd Air Base Wing Force Support Squadron
chief of education and training at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, said the
fair will give service members the opportunity to chat with and ask questions
about colleges, degree and certificate programs, financial aid, tuition and fee
costs and post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to representatives from several colleges
and military education counselors.
The Virtual Education Fair will also include videos on the
top high-growth career fields and degrees, tools and resources for picking a
college and certification and licensure programs, Murphy said. Information on
the participating schools will remain online once the fair is completed.
“This is going to help educate our service members about how
to find the right academic institution for their needs,” Murphy said.
Murphy said the online fair will be accessible to service
members whether they are at work, at home, deployed or unable to attend an
education fair at their installation.
“The premise of the fair is to reach all service members,”
Murphy said. “This is something that’s virtual. It’s going to be available to
anyone in the world.”
Family members of service members who register for the fair,
including spouses and children, are allowed to participate in the fair.
Achieving a higher education degree or technical certificate
can help an Air Force service member advance in their career or get a job once
they leave the service, Murphy said.
“It makes them much more employable when they get of the
service,” Murphy said.
If service members are unable to participate in the Virtual
Education Fair, they will have the chance to attend two education fairs at
JBSA-Fort Sam Houston: Tuesday, from noon to 3 p.m. at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston
Military Family & Readiness Center, building 2797; and Thursday, from 8
a.m. to 1 p.m. at the San Antonio Military Medical Center Mall.