Rivier University Earns 'Military Friendly' Designation

Rivier University has again earned a Military Friendly School designation, in recognition of the school's efforts in serving veteran students, by Victory Media.

The Military Friendly Schools designation is awarded to the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students and ensure their success in the classroom and after graduation. The list serves as the primary resource for service members and military families seeking education and has played a significant role over the past five years in capturing and advancing best practices in supporting military students on campuses across the country.

The 2014 list was released on the heels of President Obama’s “8 Keys to Success” guide for supporting military students.

“Our survey and data-driven Military Friendly Schools list stand out as one of the primary drivers for leading practices captured within the administration’s ‘8 Keys to Success’ prior to its inception,” said Sean Collins, Vice President for Victory Media and a nine-year Navy veteran.

 “The administration’s ‘8 Keys to Success’ provide high-level, macro suggestions that schools can take to help veterans and service members transition into the classroom, but lacks actionable definition of best practices needed to really move the needle on campus,” said Collins. Over 50 leading practices in support of military students are captured within the Military Friendly Schools ® survey, allowing every school approved for VA funding to emulate leading programs and policies.

The Military Friendly Schools media and website, found at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com, feature the list, interactive tools and search functionality to help military students find the best school to suit their unique needs and preferences. The 1,739 colleges, universities and trade schools on this year’s list exhibit leading practices in the recruitment and retention of students with military experience.

Veteran students at Rivier University have access to a Veterans Coordinator available on campus full-time to help them with their G.I. Bill benefits, as well as a Veterans Representative to help support veterans in attaining their educational goals. A Veterans Committee also meets regularly to help the University assess efforts to serve its veteran population and identify ways that Rivier can improve its services in this area. The University also works to educate faculty and staff about issues veterans may be facing.

For additional information about Rivier University’s services for veteran students, visit www.rivier.edu/veterans.

“We are very pleased to be recognized again this year for our efforts to meet the educational needs of our veteran students,” said Rivier’s Veterans Coordinator, Sister Joan Joyal. “At Rivier, we have worked very hard to address the needs of this population in recent years, and this recognition is a testament to all the hard work by our faculty and staff to serve this segment of our campus community.”

The 2014 list of Military Friendly Schools was compiled through extensive research and a free, data-driven, survey of more than 10,000 VA-approved schools nationwide. The survey results that comprise the 2014 list were independently tested by Ernst & Young LLP based upon the weightings and methodology established by Victory Media. Each year, schools taking the survey are held to a higher standard than the previous year via improved methodology, criteria and weightings 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://www.militaryfriendly.com. 

This year’s Military Friendly Schools list criteria also incorporate a survey of over 4,000 actual student veterans. This feedback provides prospective military students with insight into the student veteran experience at particular institutions based on peer reviews from current students.

Anchoring the 2014 list release is a Military Friendly Schools virtual college fair, the first to pair members of the military community seeking education with student veterans and school representatives from pre-screened Military Friendly Schools ® using interactive online events technology. The event, scheduled for November, will allow active military, veterans and spouses from across the globe to get a real “boots on the ground” perspective of campus life, and engage one-on-one with admissions representatives, as well as enrolled military students. Schools participating in the event will be limited to those which have earned the Military Friendly Schools® designation. Prospective students can leverage the digital event to speak directly with schools prior to enrollment and make informed decisions about their hard-earned tuition benefits. More information on the virtual college fair is available at militaryfriendly.com/events.

About Military Friendly:
The Military Friendly designation process includes extensive research and data-driven surveys of leading opportunities for the military community in the areas of employment, education, franchising and cities. The school survey, methodology, criteria and weightings are developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Board (AAB) consisting of educators from schools across the country and are independently tested by Ernst & Young LLP based upon the weightings and methodology established by Victory Media. Any school interested in participating in the Virtual College Fair must first submit a Military Friendly Schools® survey and compete for the designation. The survey is administered for free and is open annually from March-May. To have your schools added to the free survey contact@militaryfriendly.com. Criteria for consideration can be found on our website: http://www.militaryfriendly.com.

About Victory Media:
Victory Media is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business and has been serving the military community since 2001. Our data-driven lists are published in G.I. Jobs, Military Spouse, Vetrepreneur media channels, republished in periodicals like USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Bloomberg BW and are frequently cited on national TV by NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, CNBC, Fox News and others.

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Founded in 1933 by the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, Rivier University is a Catholic institution recognized for distinctive academic programs, offering many of the region’s leading programs at the undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels. With Nashua as our home and the world as our classroom, the Rivier experience ensures that students develop leadership skills as well as an awareness and appreciation of diverse cultures in New England and around the world.