I earned my college degree with EASE
I’m not sure I would have been able to earn my college degree if not for Warner University and the EASE voucher that helped me pay tuition.
I wasn’t the best student in high school. I focused on my baseball career, and I was good at that. Warner University recruited me to continue my baseball career as the pitcher on their team. When I learned of their small class sizes and focus on helping students, I was convinced it was the right place for me.
College tuition is expensive. Florida’s EASE voucher helped me pay the bills.
EASE is the Effective Access to Student Education school voucher funded by the Florida Legislature. Students who are residents of Florida and choose to attend independent, nonprofit higher education institutions are eligible to receive $2,841 per year toward their tuition payments. This voucher gives students access to earn a degree and the option to choose the school that is right for them.
While I was an undergraduate student at Warner University, I had to balance my classes with a heavy practice and game schedule.
That’s why I am thankful for Lynn Johnson. As head of the business department, she oversaw my major and many of the classes in which I was enrolled. Even with her full plate of responsibilities, she made students like me her top priority. Microeconomics, macroeconomics and business statistics were difficult concepts, especially given the demands of the baseball team on my time. But with the help of Johnson, I excelled in my classes. My teammates and I would spend time in her office studying the concepts and taking tests we had missed.
Because of her leadership and mentorship, I earned my Bachelor’s degree in just four years. Because of her inspiration, I’m now on my way to earning my Master’s in business.
There are more than 46,000 other students across Florida just like me. They are Florida residents who chose to attend an independent, nonprofit higher education institution because it was right for them. Many of these schools are faith-based like Warner. Most of these schools have small class sizes that give students the support they need. Many of these schools have flexible class schedules that can work around team schedules, full time jobs or family obligations.
All of these students depend on EASE vouchers to help them pay tuition. As a business student, I can tell you this is a smart investment by the state of Florida. It helps educate and prepare Florida’s future workforce for the jobs we need to fill. It is far cheaper for the state to support students through school choice vouchers than to expand the public schools to accommodate all students in pursuit of a degree.
Tell your legislator that you support the EASE voucher. It’s critical that Florida continues to fund the EASE voucher for students like me to gain their education and contribute to our economy.
Jacob Cooper graduated from Warner University in April 2021 with a Bachelor’s in Business and Management. He is pursuing his Master’s in Business Administration at Warner University while working at a full-time job. He lives in Lake Wales.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: I earned my college degree with EASE
