McKendree is in Top 20% of Military Friendly Schools

Lebanon, Ill. & Radcliff, Ky. – McKendree University has earned a “Military Friendly School” designation in 2014 for a fifth consecutive year from Victory Media, which markets to military personnel transitioning into civilian life. Its 2014 Military Friendly Schools® lists the top 20 percent of more than 10,000 colleges, universities and trade schools that do the most to meet the education needs of service members, veterans and spouses and to ensure their success on campus.

Enrollment of students receiving military benefits continues to increase at McKendree’s Lebanon, Ill., and Louisville and Radcliff, Ky., campuses, and the Center at Scott Air Force Base. Staff members at all locations are designated specifically to assist students and their families who are using veteran benefits. They can certify enrollment to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and answer questions about veterans’ benefits.

"Our goal is to make absolutely certain that every veteran has a positive and rewarding experience at McKendree as they pursue their educational goals," said Tom Pawlow, chair of the university’s Military Student Services Committee and a retired Air Force colonel.

The committee, made up of current and former service members and military spouses, coordinates services across the university’s locations and programs. It ensures that all departments serving military students have the same information, policies and procedures to meet their needs. It also plans special events such as Military Appreciation Week, this year from Nov. 10 to 16. McKendree also participates in the VA’s Yellow Ribbon Program. To qualify, veterans must be 100 percent eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. Information for military students is posted at www.mckendree.edu/veterans.

“Inclusion on the 2014 list of Military Friendly Schools shows McKendree University’s commitment to providing a supportive environment for military students,” said Sean Collins, vice president of Victory Media and a Navy veteran. “The 1,868 colleges, universities and trade schools on the 2014 list exhibit leading practices in the recruitment and retention of students with military experience. These schools have world-class programs and policies for student support on campus, academic accreditation, credit policies, flexibility and other services to those who served.”

The website militaryfriendlyschools.com features the list and helps military students find the school best suited to their needs and preferences. The 2014 list was compiled through extensive research and a data-driven survey of more than 10,000 VA-approved schools. Each year schools taking the survey are held to a higher standard than the previous year via improved methodology, criteria and weightings developed with an advisory board of educators from schools across the U.S.