Designated among top Military Friendly schools

Upper Iowa University has once again earned Military Friendly® School designation by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs®, STEM Jobs^SM, and Military Spouse. This recognition follows the November 1 announcement by Military Times that UIU was named the top college in the nation to provide online and nontraditional programming to former and current military personnel.

“Upper Iowa has been committed to meeting the needs of service members and their families since the university was founded in 1857,” said UIU President William R. Duffy II. “We have a long and proud heritage of providing for the educational needs of the men and women who serve our country, and we are honored that we are once again being recognized for these efforts. We welcome the maturity, experience, diversity and leadership that military students bring to UIU.”

Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from Victory Media’s proprietary survey. More than 1,600 schools participated in the 2017 survey; 1,160 were awarded with the designation. Ratings methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Victory Media with input from the Military Friendly Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer) and loan default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.

“UIU takes great pride in and has longevity with serving our total military family,” said Chad Cook, UIU director of military and veteran services. “We strive and continue to make our programs as military friendly as possible. The university’s seamless approach to completing a college degree through a variety of degree program modalities, tuition discounts, generous acceptance of military and life experience as transfer credits, and programs for military spouses are all key aspects of our service to our entire military family.”

According to Daniel Nichols, a Navy Reserve veteran and chief product officer at Victory Media, “Our ability to apply a clear, consistent standard to the majority of colleges gives veterans a comprehensive view of which schools are striving to provide the best opportunities and conditions for our nation’s student veterans. Military Friendly helps military families make the best use of the Post-9/11 GI Bill and other federal benefits while allowing us to further our goal of assisting them in finding success in their chosen career fields.”

First published in 2009, Military Friendly Schools is the most comprehensive resource for veterans today. Each year, the list of Military Friendly Schools is provided to 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 Upper Iowa University’s commitment to attracting and supporting military students, visit uiu.edu/future/military-veterans. UIU will be showcased along with other 2017 Military Friendly Schools in the annual Guide to Military Friendly Schools, special education issues of G .I. Jobs and Military Spouse Magazine, and on militaryfriendly.com.