Members of the Oklahoma National Guard will now have the cost of their tuition, fees and textbooks covered when attending Seminole State College. Beginning with the fall semester, which starts Aug. 14, SSC is extending textbooks waivers to add to the benefits members of the National Guard receive through the Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance Program (EAP).

“In appreciation of their service, we wanted to extend textbook waivers to students who qualify for EAP. We want to ease the financial burden of obtaining course materials,” SSC Vice President for Fiscal Affairs Melaine Rinehart said.

The EAP was established by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Kevin Stitt in 2022. The program created a dedicated revolving fund administered by the Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education, covering tuition, mandatory fees, and academic fees for Oklahoma National Guard members at the state’s public colleges and universities.

With the inclusion of textbook waivers, Seminole State College is taking further steps to support the academic pursuits of servicemen and women.

“We are immensely proud of our Oklahoma National Guard members and recognize the tremendous sacrifices they make to serve our community and country,” SSC President Lana Reynolds said. “By providing book waivers, we hope to express our gratitude and commitment to their educational and professional advancement.”

The textbook waivers cover physical book rentals from the SSC bookstore and do not include digital access licenses or supplemental course materials, such as art supplies, study guides, or engineering kits.

To be eligible for EAP, Oklahoma National Guard members must be currently serving and have at least one year remaining on their enlistment contract from the beginning of the semester. Members need to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 for undergraduate studies or a 3.0 for a graduate program at the end of each semester. The deadline to apply for EAP is Aug. 31. For more information about EAP and to complete an application, visit ok.ng.mil/eap.

For more information about the textbook waiver program at SSC, contact the College’s Financial Aid Office at finaid@sscok.edu or 405-382-9247.