Last Updated on March 5, 2020 10:52 am
BOONE, N.C. — For a decade, Appalachian State University has been recognized as a Military Friendly® School by VIQTORY for its support of and resources for student veterans and active-duty military members. This year, the university also earned the distinction of being one of the Top 10 Military Friendly® Schools in the nation for 2020–21.
Appalachian was one of only three universities in North Carolina to appear in the top 10 and was the only top-10 school from the state named in the large public schools category.
“I am pleased to see Appalachian earn recognition from VIQTORY for the 10th consecutive year,” Chancellor Sheri Everts said. “Appalachian’s status as a Top 10 Military Friendly® School affirms the collective work of the Appalachian Community to sustain a welcoming and supportive campus culture for the more than 380 student veterans and active-duty military members enrolled at Appalachian.”
Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,000 schools participated in the 2020–21 survey, with 695 earning the designation.
Josh Rosen, Military Friendly’s national director, said, “Our ability to apply a clear, consistent standard to colleges creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages colleges to invest in programs to provide educational outcomes that are better for the military community as a whole.”
Appalachian’s Major General Edward M. Reeder Jr. Student Veteran Resource Center serves as the epicenter for support for the university’s student veterans, offering a space where they can study, explore campus resources, meet with a librarian or a career coach, and ask questions about their GI Bill.
Centrally located in the resource center is the office of alumna Jennifer Coffey ’04 ’16, who assumed the role of program director of student veteran services earlier this month. Coffey previously served Appalachian’s military population as a School Certifying Official for Veterans Affairs education benefits in the Office of Student Financial Aid.
Coffey said the university’s recognition as a Top 10 Military Friendly® School is “evidence of the passion so many of us have for serving student veterans and military-affiliated students. Student veterans are valuable members of our campus community, bringing a wealth of diverse experiences and perspectives to our classrooms and community.”
She continued, “Our Military Affairs Committee has worked hard to identify and implement programs and services designed to promote success during the transition out of the military and into higher education, as well as during the journey through Appalachian and beyond.”
The 2020–21 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.
The Military Friendly® Schools list is aimed at service members and their families, helping them select the best college, university or trade school to receive the education and training needed to pursue a civilian career.
For more information about student veteran services at Appalachian, visit https://militarystudents.appstate.edu.
