SPEARFISH, S.D. – Black Hills State University has been approved to be a provider of post-secondary education at Ellsworth Air Force Base. Through a request for proposal process, BHSU and one other university were selected by an Ellsworth review panel. Notification was received by BHSU in July. The University will begin offering courses on base this fall.
“We are honored to be chosen to support the Ellsworth mission,” said BHSU President Laurie Nichols. “Building upon a time-honored relationship between BHSU and Ellsworth, we are ready to help service members, their families, Department of Defense civilians, and veterans secure the skills and tools needed to succeed in today’s environment.”
This fall BHSU will begin offering five undergraduate and two graduate programs at EAFB in addition to the general education classes BHSU currently provides through a partnership with the Community College of the Air Force. Undergraduate programs include Business Administration-Human Resources, Business Administration-Management, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, and Psychology. Graduate programs include an MBA in Applied Management and Computer Science and Engineering, offered in partnership with South Dakota Mines. The University will also offer a certificate program in Advanced Project Management through Peterson Training.
In support of BHSU’s selection by the Department of the Air Force to operate a local campus on base, the South Dakota Board of Regents approved a reduced tuition rate for active-duty airmen, their spouses and dependents, and U.S. Department of Defense civilians who work on Ellsworth Air Force Base. The new per-credit-hour rates are $250 for undergraduate courses and $300 for graduate coursework.
“Ellsworth is an important air base that has a rich history of providing air defense both nationally and internationally. We appreciate the confidence the leadership saw in our plan to provide affordable tuition rates, for not just active military, but DOD civilians and spouses/dependents. Our plan also includes offering classes on base with the flexibility to take classes at our Rapid City or Spearfish campuses,” said Greg Krajewski, Director of Military and Veteran Services for BHSU.
BHSU has offered courses to Ellsworth military personnel for nearly 60 years. Until 2006, when an education facility on base was repurposed for other uses, BHSU also had a physical presence on the Ellsworth base.
Action by the South Dakota Board of Regents means the following groups now qualify for the reduced tuition rate:
- Active-duty military members at Ellsworth AFB and the BHSU campus in Spearfish;
- Spouses and dependents of active-duty military at Ellsworth AFB (undergraduate and graduate rate);
- Department of Defense civilians at Ellsworth AFB, Black Hills State University (both Spearfish and Rapid City campuses), and by internet delivery.
