MASON CITY – G.I. Jobs, the premier magazine for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, has awarded North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) the designation of “Military Friendly School.” The 2013 Military Friendly Schools list honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members and veterans as students.
This is the fourth consecutive year that NIACC has earned the military-friendly college recognition.
“NIACC is able to provide veterans, spouses, and dependents a variety of support and resources as they pursue their academic goals. By offering these services, NIACC prepares the student with a personalized transition plan into the academic environment and civilian life,” said Michelle Petznick, VA Certifying Official and Registrar at NIACC.
In its effort to help student veterans find the right school, G.I. Jobs incorporated a survey of student veterans. This feedback provides prospective military students with insight into the student veteran experience at a particular institution based on peer reviews from current students.
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.
The 1,739 colleges, universities and trade schools on this year’s list prioritize the recruitment of students with military experience. These schools are making the grade by offering scholarships and discounts, veterans’ clubs, full-time staff, military credit and other services to those who served. The 2013 list of Military Friendly Schools ® was compiled through extensive research and a data driven survey of more than 12,000 schools nationwide. Methodology, criteria and weighting for the list were developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Board (AAB) consisting of educators from schools across the country.
