Appalachian earns 2016 Military Friendly® School designation

Posted Nov. 5, 2015 at 11:59 a.m.

BOONE—Appalachian State University has been designated a 2016 Military Friendly® School by Victory Media, a leader in connecting the military and civilian worlds, and publisher of G.I. Jobs®, STEM JobsSM and Military Spouse.

Now in its seventh year, the Military Friendly® Schools designation provides service members and their families with transparent, data-driven ratings about post-military education and career opportunities.

The Military Friendly® Schools designation is awarded to the top colleges, universities, community colleges and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students, and to dedicate resources to ensure their success both in the classroom and after graduation. The methodology used for making the Military Friendly® Schools list has made the student veteran landscape more transparent and has played a significant role over the past seven years in capturing and advancing best practices to support military students across the country.

Institutions competed for the Military Friendly® School title by completing a survey of over 100 questions covering 10 categories, including military support on campus, graduation and employment outcomes and military spouse policies. Survey responses were scored against benchmarks across these key indicators of success.

Appalachian recently received a $273,922, three-year grant Department of Education Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success grant, to support student veterans on campus, increase awareness across the university community of the richness they bring to campus, and to increase student veteran enrollment.

Appalachian’s Office of Admissions maintains a website for veterans and military service members considering enrolling at the university. The university also has veteran counselors, as well as academic and financial aid advisors on staff, and a chapter of the Student Veterans Association on campus. The Career Development Center assists student veterans with career planning and veteran’s preference programs. Appalachian offers in-state tuition without residency requirements for military students who are in the N.C. National Guard or on active duty at a military base within North Carolina.

In addition, Appalachian created a Military Affairs Committee (MAC) in 2012, which takes an enrollment management approach to supporting student veterans and other military-affiliated students. Representation includes financial aid, admissions, advising and orientation, counseling, graduate school, ROTC and others. In addition, the MAC has representation from the Boone community and the Student Veterans Association.

Appalachian has been designated a Military Friendly School® by Victory Media since 2010.

“Post-secondary institutions earning the 2016 Military Friendly® School award have exceptionally strong programs for transitioning service members and spouses,” said Daniel Nichols, chief product officer of Victory Media and a Navy Reserve veteran. “Our Military Friendly® Schools are truly aligning their military programs and services with employers to help students translate military experience, skills and training into successful careers after graduation.”

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.