- 303 Haggar College Center
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
(574) 284-4579 - Director of Media Relations
Gwen O'Brien
gobrien@saintmarys.edu
Saint Mary's Recognized as "Military Friendly"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saint Mary's College Recognized as “Military Friendly School”
Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary’s College
(574) 284-4579
August 16, 2010 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—Saint Mary's College, a Catholic all-women’s liberal arts college, is proud to be among the institutions listed in G.I. Jobs Magazine’s 2011 list of Military Friendly Schools. The list includes the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s veterans as students. The schools on the list are both public and private, with the common bond being the shared priority of recruiting students with military experience. It is the first time Saint Mary's College is on the list.
The 2008 passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill makes the possibility of higher learning more attainable for veterans, with tens of billions of dollars in tuition money now available.
“The list of Military Friendly Schools is especially important now because the Post-9/11 GI Bill has given veterans virtually unlimited financial means to go to school,” said Rich McCormack, G.I. Jobs publisher. “Veterans can now enroll in any school, provided they’re academically qualified. Veterans need a trusted friend to help them decide where to get educated. The Military Friendly Schools list is that trusted friend.”
For a second year, Saint Mary’s is participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program, created through the GI Bill’s passage. Under the agreement, Saint Mary's will accept an unlimited number of eligible students. The Yellow Ribbon Program will provide students with up to $20,000 toward their tuition and fees, in addition to the Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits they are receiving. This will cover most, if not all, of the tuition and fees for the students in the program.
“We believe that women veterans deserve a great educational experience and that Saint Mary's, with its small classes and engaged faculty, offers that experience,” says Karen Johnson, vice president for student affairs. “In addition, as our other students are interacting with women vets on campus, they will benefit from the great life lessons veterans have and from the leadership skills vets bring to the table.”
Studies show that veterans sometimes feel frustrated, alone and misunderstood when they arrive on college campuses. Saint Mary's College recognizes this and last year received a $14,999 Operation Diploma grant to develop support programs and services for student service members and veterans. Saint Mary’s has used the grant money to develop a strategy to recruit veterans, train student affairs staff to address the unique issues veterans face and develop a peer support network for veterans. There is a designated admission counselor who serves as the veteran's contact on campus and continuing professional development for staff and faculty who might interact and work with veterans.
The 2011 list of Military Friendly Schools was compiled through exhaustive research starting in April 2009. G.I. Jobs polled more than 7,000 schools nationwide. Methodology, criteria and weighting for the list were developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Board (AAB) consisting of educators from eight institutions of higher learning as well other education and veteran organizations.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. Saint Mary’s College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary's College ranks among the nation's top 100 liberal arts colleges in U.S. News & World Report's 2010 annual survey. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
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.”
