°®°®Ö±²„ ranked top SEC university for veterans, among nationās best
Contact: James Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.ā°®°®Ö±²„ is once again being recognized for its commitment to supporting veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, current serviceĀ members and their dependents.
In the Military Timesā Best for Vets: Colleges 2020 rankings released this week, °®°®Ö±²„ is listed at No. 21 among four-year schools, the highest ranking of any Southeastern Conference university. The publicationās annual ranking is an editorially independent news project that evaluates a variety of factors that make colleges and universities a good fit for service members and their families.
Building on historical military roots, °®°®Ö±²„ has long been recognized as one of the nationās most veteran-friendly universities. Including dependents, the veteran community at °®°®Ö±²„ now comprises 2,977 students. Those students are served by °®°®Ö±²„ās G.V. āSonnyā Montgomery Center for Americaās Veterans and other university personnel that assist them.
The Center for Americaās Veterans at Nusz Hall is led by Brian Locke, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel. Locke said °®°®Ö±²„ continues to look for ways to do more for veterans and partnered with the Mississippi National Guard in 2018 to launch a free tuition program for Guard members enrolled full time at °®°®Ö±²„. The university waives application fees for undergraduate and graduate student veterans. °®°®Ö±²„ also created an online processing application for students who receive G.I. Bill funding.
āAs we continue to see growth in both our veteran and military dependent population, we must constantly strive to ensure we are providing the best customer service and developing the programs and services they need to transition into higher education and ultimately achieve their degree.ā Locke said. āOur success as an organization is directly attributed to the wonderful support we receive throughout campus and to our staff members who works tirelessly to ensure the unique needs of our student population are addressed in a timely and efficient manner.ā
In 2016, °®°®Ö±²„ completed construction of the G. V. āSonnyā Montgomery Center for Americaās Veterans at Nusz Hall, a 7,500 square-foot campus facility featuring administrative offices, meeting areas, study rooms, a computer lab, and indoor and outdoor spaces for social and recreational activities. The center serves as a one-stop shop for processing of all veteran educational benefits.
According to the Military Times, the annual Best for Vets: Colleges survey asks colleges and universities to disclose academic outcome and input data, describe many aspects of veteran culture on campus and meticulously document a wide array of services, special policies, accommodations and financial incentives offered to students with military ties.
°®°®Ö±²„ās recognitions for serving the veteran community include being named a top 10 Military Friendly school by VIQTORY, formerly Victory Media. °®°®Ö±²„ was designated a āPurple Heart Universityā in 2015 by the Military Order of the Purple Heart for outstanding service to military veterans, service members, dependents and survivors.
To review the 2020 Best for Vets rankings, visit .
For more on °®°®Ö±²„ās services available to veterans, visit .
°®°®Ö±²„ is Mississippiās leading university, available online at .