UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A gift from a Vietnam War veteran will create an emergency fund to help Penn State World Campus’s military learners when they have an unexpected financial setback.
Howard Kramer and his wife, Susan, of Schaefferstown in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, have committed $75,000 to create the Kramer Family Penn State World Campus Emergency Assistance Fund for Military Students — an endowment that will provide funds year after year to eligible students.
Penn State World Campus provides a Penn State education online, and many military and veteran students enroll in its online degree programs because of the flexibility it provides.
The goal of the fund is to provide financial assistance to Penn State World Campus active-duty and veteran students so that a financial setback does not hinder their progress toward graduation.
“The men and women of our military selflessly serve their country, and we are honored to serve their education needs,” said Renata Engel, vice provost for Online Education at Penn State. “There may be situations that imperil their ability to pay for their tuition, such as a lapse in funding or a personal emergency. We are grateful for the generosity from Howard Kramer and his family to create this fund and ensure that unexpected financial setbacks do not stop our military students from achieving their educational goals.”
Kramer is chief operating officer and co-founder of Listrak Inc., a Lititz-based digital marketing automation firm. He was a rifleman, radio telephone operator and sniper for the Army in Vietnam in 1968 to 1969.
“It is my honor to give back to today’s military students and help ensure that they can have successful careers,” Kramer said. “I know that getting a college degree is an important first step to make that goal a reality. After I left the Army in 1969, I used my GI Bill benefits to go back to school and get my associate and bachelor’s degrees. I have been blessed with a successful career that would not have been possible without my degree.”
During his service with the Army, Kramer was an honor graduate of sniper school. He also received multiple awards, including four Bronze Star Medals for heroism, two Army Commendation Medals for Heroism and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
Kramer was part of the first withdrawal of troops in 1969, and upon returning, studied business management at Penn State Berks and married his wife, Susan. He went on to earn his bachelor’s in business administration from Millersville University.
Kramer worked in finance before going into business with his son, Ross Kramer, in 2001. Listrak has more than 350 employees and offices in Lititz and King of Prussia.
The Kramers’ two children are Penn State graduates: Ross Kramer graduated in 1998 with a degree in health policy and administration, and daughter Allison graduated in 2002 with a degree in recreation, parks and tourism management.
Financial support and scholarships for military students
The Kramer Family Penn State World Campus Emergency Assistance Fund for Military Students is one of 11 endowments focused on providing support to World Campus military students. More than 600 military students have received financial support from these funds and two philanthropic annual funds since 2010-11, when the first military scholarship was created.
Military students are also eligible to receive scholarships from 29 endowed funds established by donors for World Campus students as well as for scholarships awarded to students University-wide.
Penn State World Campus also offers a military grant-in-aid program to undergraduate service members and their spouses to make their Penn State education more affordable.
A Penn State degree online
Penn State World Campus has been offering a Penn State education online for more than 25 years and has a comprehensive selection of more than 200 degrees and certificates.
Gifts to support military learners advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients, and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.