Virtual Values
Coast Guard officer drawn to online Christian education at Liberty University Online.
by Warren Duffie
As a military officer, Cerefino Manandic places powerful stock in character, morality and ethics. It’s no surprise he wanted his education to reflect such values. That’s why he pursued an online master’s degree in accounting from Liberty University Online.
“I looked at a lot of other fine institutions,” said the Coast Guard lieutenant commander. “However, I liked Liberty’s Christian-based education. The school has a fine leadership corps and runs its house in an orderly fashion.”
An acclaimed Christian University
Dedicated to developing Christian leaders, Liberty University Online was founded in 1971 by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell in Lynchburg, Va. The world’s largest evangelical university, Liberty’s 5,000-acre campus is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, on the south bank of the historic James River. The university offers 41 undergraduate and 30 graduate degree programs – including business, education, nursing, psychology, counseling and religion.
Liberty University Online serves more than 48,000 resident and online students. Standard tuition ranges from $15,000 to $23,000 yearly.
Reaching out to the military
To thank America’s service members, Liberty University Online provides an array of special benefits to those on active duty, Reservists, members of the National Guard and military spouses. These offerings include:
Evaluation of military training for college credit
Heroes Fund Scholarship (Offered to service members and veterans who were wounded in the Gulf Wars. This includes men and women who served in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spouses of Soldiers who were killed in action during these conflicts are also eligible for this scholarship.)
Liberty’s Military Support Office has trained specialists ready to process tuition assistance and GI Bill benefits. The university has partnered with the SOC Network, GoArmyEd, Air University - Associate to Baccalaureate Cooperative (AU-ABC) Program, and the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Yellow Ribbon Program to further support military and veteran students.
Q&A with Cerefino Manandic
G.I. Jobs spoke with Cerefino Manandic about his experience at Liberty University Online and his future plans.
GIJ: Why did you decide to go back to school?
Manandic: I went back to school to be more competitive as an officer and become a budget/financial analyst.
GIJ: Why did you choose this school?
Manandic: I chose Liberty because it was affordable and it offered Christian-based education.
GIJ: What degree program are you earning?
Manandic: I completed a master’s in accounting in May.
GIJ: What are your goals once you’re armed with this new degree?
Manandic: It will help me in my new duty station. In July, I transferred to Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C. I work as a budget analyst for the Deputy Commandant for Operations and Resources. The office manages all financial accounts for Coast Guard operations, as well as congressional funding. I’m a liaison to Congress and answer any questions about budget requests.
GIJ: What are the challenges in completing a degree while still serving?
Manandic: Managing the time to complete all the homework required, especially the research papers and dealing with family and work issues at the same time.
GIJ: What are some lessons learned that you would share with other military students?
Manandic: Tell your family about your plans to go to school. Let them know that you may not have as much time to spend time with them.
GIJ: What were your favorite classes?
Manandic: Accounting ethics and philosophy.
GIJ: Did the GI Bill or Tuition Assistance (TA) cover all of your expenses?
Manandic: TA did, but not the books. Liberty covers books with book vouchers.
GIJ: How did you cover expenses that exceeded your tuition assistance and GI Bill?
Manandic: School covered the 25 percent and they gave me a discount for enrolling in back-to-back classes.
GIJ: Do you feel that your military experience made you a better student? How?
Manandic: Being in the military allowed me to do my homework at work after hours. My previous military unit allowed us to use learning centers to study and do our research writing. This helped out immensely.
GIJ: Would you recommend your school to other military and veteran students? Why?
Manandic: This online school worked for me. It allowed me to do the work anytime during the course duration. The school provided excellent customer service.