Bloomsburg University Father-Daughter Benefit from the PA Family GI Bill
BLOOMSBURG — When Army National Guard Master Sgt. John Paul Karpovich of Hunlock Creek, Pa. learned of the new Military Family Education Program (MFEP), also referred to as the PA Family GI Bill, reenlisting for six more years to the Pennsylvania National Guard (PNG) was a no-brainer for him. MFEP allows spouses and children of PNG members to attend college at no cost or a reduced cost. For Karpovich, it would help his daughter Georgia with her tuition to attend Bloomsburg University, so he signed on the dotted line.
The program provides for 10 semesters of tuition-free education for family members, which must be at a Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency-approved educational institution, and at the tuition rate set by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
Karpovich is no stranger to BU as both he and his brother attended the school in the mid ‘90’s. “At BU, I majored in sociology/criminal justice,” said Karpovich. “My plan was to become a police officer or work with law enforcement in some capacity. As it turns out, I left BU to become an active-duty soldier with the PA Army National Guard.”
“I had joined the PA Army National Guard as a junior at Hanover Area in Luzerne County and took a leave of absence from BU to serve with the Guard in Germany. “My plan, when I got back home, was to go enroll again at BU, but the semester had already started. After being offered a full-time job with the PA Army National Guard and due to multiple duty positions and starting a family, I just couldn’t find the time to continue my education.”
Fast forward to 2018, when Karpovich’s oldest daughter, Georgia, was going through the college search process.
“I encouraged Georgia to attend Bloomsburg University," said Karpovich, who has served in Germany and now the Middle East. “I was overjoyed when she said it was one of her top choices after attending an open house. The faculty treated us great and gave us the type of information we were looking for during our visit. We even got to tour the floor of the dorm that my brother stayed in during his freshman year.
Georgia Karpovich is a sophomore at BU, majoring in education in dual early childhood/special education.
“A major factor in my decision of BU were the special education clubs the university has to offer,” said the younger Karpovich. “I am on the executive board for the Trinity Learning Community, an organization that works with adults and individuals with disabilities who live in an independent living home in Bloomsburg. Many schools I had toured did not have clubs specifically for special education or any educational clubs at all.”
“My dad has always talked my ear off about Bloomsburg,” said Georgia. “When I told him I was applying to BU, he was thrilled. He came on my tour of campus and was most excited to show me was the tonal sculpture outside of the Haas Center, due to the auditory distortion that happens when standing between the two large discs.”
One of the surprise outcomes of Georgia attending BU was her father deciding to re-enroll at BU, taking advantage of the University’s Military Academic Credit-Review Board (MAC-RB) program. The MAC-RB process determines appropriate, but only academically justifiable, BU credit equivalencies for military training.
“I first heard of MAC-RB when I took Georgia to meet with the Veterans
Affairs representative, Bob Heckrote,” said Karpovich. “It was exciting to learn that BU would consider my military training toward academic credits. I now have a path to completing my degree, which I would not have had without MAC-RB.”
Georgia was naturally thrilled for her dad.
“His decision surprised me when he said he would resume his education,” said Georgia. “I think it’s a really fun opportunity to go to college at the same time as my father, even though he is not on campus with me to experience it together. I found it humorous that we both have BU email addresses.”
Of course, none of this would be possible without the PA Family GI Bill.
“Many thanks to state representatives and all those who worked to make this benefit possible for the families of the soldiers and airmen who serve in the PA National Guard,” said John Paul Karpovich. “Using the PA Family GI Bill allows Georgia to concentrate on her studies without having to worry about how she is going to afford it. When she got accepted, I made the decision to begin looking into finishing up my degree. Bob Heckrote has been very helpful. He has helped my daughter with her paperwork and also helped put me on track to degree completion. For that I am grateful.”