G.I. Jobs, a magazine for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, has awarded the University of Houston-Downtown the designation of “Military Friendly School.”
The magazine’s staff said the 2012 Military Friendly Schools list honors the top 20 percent, 1,518 colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members and veterans as students. UHD was also named to the list last year.
“It’s great to be recognized for our efforts. Houston is a large, diverse city with a lot of veterans, many of whom are looking to continue their educations after they complete their military service,” said Michael Records, manager of UHD Veterans Services.
“Many veterans need to be employed while working on their degrees, many need some financial assistance to attend school and some are disabled in some way. UHD is great about addressing those circumstances for all students, and my area is focused specifically on assisting veterans. Fortunately, what we’re doing seems to be working.”
G.I. Jobs surveyed 8,000 schools nationwide to identify schools that offer scholarships and discounts, veterans’ clubs, full-time staff, military credit and other services to those who have served. An Academic Advisory Board assisted the magazine staff with the methodology and in evaluating the data.
In its effort to help student veterans find the right school, G.I. Jobs incorporated a survey of student veterans for the first time. This feedback provides prospective military students with insight into the student veteran experience at a particular institution based on peer reviews from current students. Student veteran survey feedback can be viewed at http://www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/2012%20list.
Michael Dakduk, executive director for the Student Veterans of America, said,“The Military Friendly Schools list is the go-to resource for prospective student veterans searching for schools that provide the right overall experience.Nothing is more compelling than actual feedback from current student veterans.”
Service members and veterans can also meet individual student veterans from the various schools virtually on the site to learn more about personal school decisions and the transition from the military to an academic environment.
UHD has a Veterans Services staff and office to aid veterans in the transition from military to student life. The office includes a computer laboratory and study area. The staff conducts or arranges workshops, seminars and informational fairs; assists in the preparation of admission, financial aid and registration paperwork, and assists with referrals for Veterans Administration benefits and community resources. Student organizations for veterans operate on campus and plan activities for veterans throughout the year.
For more information about UHD’s Veterans Services, call 713-221-8622 or email uhdva@uhd.edu.
G.I. Jobs (http://www.gijobs.com/) is published by Victory Media, a veteran-owned business which also publishes The Guide to Military Friendly Schools, Military Spouse and Vetrepreneur magazines and annually rates the nation’s “Military Friendly Employers,” “Military Spouse Friendly Employers” and “Best Corporations for Veteran-Owned Businesses.
UHD is the second largest university in Houston and the 13th largest four-year, public university in Texas. One of the most ethnically diverse universities in the country, UHD ranks 37th nationally for graduating Hispanic students with bachelor's degrees and 37th nationally for graduating African-American students with bachelor's degrees. Approximately 2,000 students graduate from UHD each year. For information about UHD, visit the website http://www.uhd.edu/.
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Tuesday, September 20, 2011 / UHD Public Affairs
