G.I. Jobs, the leading publication and resource for U.S. service members entering the civilian workforce, has named SUNY New Paltz a Military Friendly® School for 2018, with an additional Gold award designation that places New Paltz in the top tier among all small public colleges and universities serving military students nationwide.
The distinction provides an important third-party validation of the College’s commitment to the growing number of veterans, service members and dependent students who choose to further their educations at New Paltz.
The growth in this area is due in large part to the College’s Office of Veteran & Military Services, which has led a coordinated, campus-wide effort to support military affiliated students from application to graduation and beyond.
“When we opened our office a little more than three years ago, we had a vision: to work with the administration and the College community to create a military friendly environment here on campus,” said Jason Gilliland, coordinator of Veteran and Military Services.
“Today I’m honored to say that we have hundreds of veteran, service member and dependent students here on campus, and a College that recognizes the sacrifice each and every one of them has made. We’ve come a long way in just a short amount of time.”
The military-affiliated student population at SUNY New Paltz has grown from about 75 students in 2013-2014 to nearly 400 students in fall 2017. Those students benefit from services including:
- Help navigating the application processes for GI Bill® and other benefits earned through service;
- A Veteran, Military and Dependent Mentoring program, which connects military students with faculty, staff and student peers to help ease the transition to the life and responsibilities of a student (this program enjoyed its highest participation rate to date this semester);
- Access to scholarships reserved exclusively for veteran and military students;
- Free parking permits and early course registration;
- Team and culture-building events like participation in the 2017 West Point Spartan Race, where New Paltz veteran students raced alongside Coordinator Gilliland through a grueling, muddy course at one of the most prestigious preparatory academies in the U.S.
To learn more about resources available to veteran and military students at SUNY New Paltz, please visit us online.
About the Military Friendly® Schools list
G.I. Jobs, published by Victory Media, selects schools for Military Friendly® designation based on a variety of data points. Their survey examines performance on benchmarks including support available to military students on campus, graduation and employment outcomes and policies regarding spouses and family members of military personnel and veterans. Click here for more details about methodology.
