Edmonds CC named to 2011 Military Friendly Schools list

08/17/2010

Edmonds College abides by the guidelines established by Washington state’s Partners for Veteran Supportive Campuses agreement, has a Veterans Resource Team to help connect student-veterans with resources, and an active student Club Vet. The college was named to the 2011 Military Friendly Schools list, an online college guide for veterans.

PITTSBURGH, Pa., Aug. 16, 2010 – G.I. Jobs announces the release of its 2011 list of Military Friendly Schools at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/2011list. The list honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools which are doing the most to embrace America’s veterans as students.

Schools on the list range from state universities and private colleges to community colleges and trade schools. The common bond is their shared priority of recruiting students with military experience.

Colleges have long coveted veterans in the classroom. Dr. Dorothy Bassett, dean of Duquesne University’s School of Leadership and Professional Advancement, a Military Friendly School, points out some of those reasons. “Military students bring a high degree of maturity, life experiences, diversity, leadership and worldliness to the classroom. Other students and faculty benefit from the different perspectives that service members and veterans bring.”

The tens of billions of dollars in tuition money now available with the passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill® last year has intensified an already strong desire by colleges to court veterans into their classrooms.

“This list is especially important now because the Post-9/11 GI Bill® has given veterans virtually unlimited financial means to go to school,” said Rich McCormack, G.I. Jobs publisher. “Veterans can now enroll in any school, provided they’re academically qualified. So schools are clamoring for them like never before. Veterans need a trusted friend to help them decide where to get educated. The Military Friendly Schools list is that trusted friend.”

Derek Blumke, president of Student Veterans of America and a member of the list’s Academic Advisory Board, agrees. “The Military Friendly Schools list is the gold standard in letting veterans know which schools will offer them the greatest opportunity, flexibility and overall experience. It’s especially important now with so many schools competing for military students.”

Schools on the Military Friendly Schools list also offer additional benefits to student veterans such as on-campus veterans programs, credit for service, military spouse programs and more.

Criteria for making the Military Friendly Schools list included efforts to recruit and retain military and veteran students, results in recruiting military and veteran students and academic accreditations.