UND once again makes G.I. Jobs list of ‘Military Friendly Schools

David L. Dodds

Document Type

News Article

Publication Date

9-2011

Campus Unit

University of North Dakota

Abstract

G.I. Jobs, one of the premier veterans guides for educational and job opportunities, has announced that the University of North Dakota has once again been included on its annual list of Military Friendly School.

The complete 2012 list can be found at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/2012list. This list honors the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America's service members and veterans as students.

Michael Dakduk, Executive Director for the Student Veterans of America, agrees. "The Military Friendly Schools list is the go-to resource for prospective student veterans searching for schools that provide the greatest opportunity and overall experience. Nothing is more compelling than actual feedback from current student veterans."

In addition to the G.I. Jobs listing, another prominent veterans publication, Military Advanced Education, named UND a "Top Military-Friendly College for 2010- 2011."

"It's an honor to be recognized by G.I. Jobs and others for the services we provide our student veterans and their dependents," said UND President Robert Kelley. "We support our student veterans because it's the right thing to do, not because of the recognition we receive. I can't think of many things more selfless and deserving of our gratitude than asking someone to put their lives on hold to serve their country."

At UND, there are about 540 students who receive some kind of veterans' benefits, including the G.I. Bill.

As a Veterans Administration "Yellow Ribbon School," UND pays additional costs beyond what the G.I. Bill does not cover for student veterans. Under an agreement, the school and the VA split the remaining costs.

UND also routinely works with veterans when it comes to tuition and fee deadlines, making sure to waive late fees when their enrollment is affected by military duty. The same goes for housing contracts, which are pro-rated based on their military duty schedule so they are not stuck paying for a University residence they can't use.

Also, if a UND student gets called away from class for any kind of military duty longer than 14 days, their tuition and fees are refunded at 100 percent.

All North Dakota students, regardless of their state of residency, are eligible to take advantage of the state's "drop" policy that allows them to halt classes without penalty if they are called away for military duty. But at UND, instructors also are given the discretion to work with students to register a grade as "incomplete," or, if enough progress has been made during a semester, they can issue a grade based on the students' performance to that point.

Student veterans at UND also are eligible for priority registration no matter if they are an incoming freshman or a transfer student from another school. This ensures that veterans get the classes they need sooner. Typically, UND students register based on the amount of credit hours they have accrued.

Another important component of UND's handling of veterans' needs is the "one-stop-shop" setup of its Veterans Affairs office. Carol Anson, UND's certifying official, has the power to work with students and take care of matters that, at many other schools, would be handled by multiple offices. All she needs to see is a verification of military orders. This model is especially valuable in cases where students are called away to duty.

Another major UND initiative has been to offer preferential enrollment, into certain classes, for servicemembers and veterans. Initially, sections of psychology and English composition were set up for this purpose.

Instructors for the courses are handpicked so that they have some level of prior military involvement or experience with servicemen and women. The courses are ones that most meet the needs of returning veterans. The results have been so successful that UND has decided to add sociology and speech to the list of veterans-only class sections.

To learn more about veterans admission to UND and services, go to: http://UND.edu/military.

Also, to read "Grad Stories" of successful student veterans at UND, you can go to The Graduate School page at http://graduateschool.und.edu/military-student-profiles/index.cfm.

The 2012 list of Military Friendly Schools ® was compiled through extensive research and a data-driven survey of more than 8,000 schools nationwide. The 1,518 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. 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. A full list of board members can be found at http://militaryfriendlyschools.com/Article/advisory-board/.

A full story and detailed list of Military Friendly Schools will be highlighted in the annual Guide to Military Friendly Schools and on a poster, both of which will be distributed to hundreds of thousands of active and former military personnel in early October. The newly redesigned website, found at http://www.militaryfriendlyschools.com, features the list, interactive tools and search functionality to assist military veterans with their school decisions. 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.

ABOUT G.I. Jobs

G.I. Jobs (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. Follow G.I. Jobs on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gijobsmagazine or on Twitter @GIJobsMagazine.

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