SUNY New Paltz recognized as Military Friendly® for fifth straight year
VIQTORY has rated SUNY New Paltz one of the 100 best schools in the country for veterans and service members in its list of Military Friendly® Schools for the 2019-20 academic year.
Only 766 colleges and universities earned Military Friendly® designation this year, and only 93 met the exceptionally high standards to qualify for Gold status or higher. It is the College’s fifth year on the Military Friendly® list, and the third consecutive year earning the additional Gold distinction.
The Military Friendly® Schools list draws on extensive research of public data sources and student and campus surveys from more than 8,800 schools nationwide. The methodology evaluates academic policies, admission, culture, career outcomes and military student support and retention, among other metrics.
The military-affiliated student population has grown rapidly at SUNY New Paltz in recent years, from less than 100 just 5 years ago, to many hundreds today. In the 2017-18 academic year, 67 military-affiliated students graduated from New Paltz, the highest recorded figure in the College’s history
That growth and success is due in large part to the College’s Office of Veteran & Military Services, which leads a coordinated, campus-wide effort to support military affiliated students from application to graduation and beyond.
“Our office is dedicated to working with the campus administration and community to create a military friendly environment here on campus,” said Jason Gilliland, coordinator of Veteran and Military Services. “I am honored to work with hundreds of veteran, service member and dependent students, alongside colleagues who recognize the sacrifice each and every one of them has made.”
The Office of Veteran & Military Services provides a host of resources to military-affiliated students, including early course registration, free parking permits, smooth credit transfer, team-building events and help navigating the application processes for GI Bill® and other benefits earned through service.
They also work closely with civilian students, faculty and staff, providing trainings on unique challenges faced by veterans and service members in their pursuit of higher education.
This work has helped SUNY New Paltz to be recognized as a leader in the SUNY system when it comes to supporting military-affiliated students. The College received a 2018 SUNY Impact Foundation grant to share this expertise with peer campuses throughout the SUNY system.
About the Military Friendly® Schools list
The Military Friendly® Schools list is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources for more than 8,800 schools nationwide, input from student veterans, and responses to the proprietary, data-driven Military Friendly® Schools survey from participating institutions.
The survey questions, methodology, criteria and weighting were developed with the assistance of an independent research firm and an advisory council of educators and employers. The survey is administered for free and is open to all postsecondary schools that wish to participate. Criteria for consideration can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.