Park University earns ‘military friendly’ distinction Published Sept. 2, 2010 PARKVILLE, Mo. - -- For the second year in a row, Park University has been honored by G.I. Jobs magazine by naming the institution on its list of Military Friendly Schools, which honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools doing the most to embrace America's veterans as students. "It is a great honor to be recognized in the top 15 percent of colleges doing the most to embrace America's military students and to be recognized in the top 20 military-friendly colleges," said Keri Estes, Park University Goodfellow campus center director. Schools on the 2011 Military Friendly Schools list offer additional benefits to student veterans such as on-campus veterans programs and credit for service and military spouse programs. In addition, schools on the list were recognized for their efforts to recruit and retain military and veteran students and academic accreditations. "Park University began serving the military in the late 1800s and that dedication continues today," said Park University President Michael H. Droge, Ph.D. "The entire university community is proud to be serving those who serve our country, and this recognition from G.I. Jobs about our success in that effort is deeply appreciated." The list was compiled through exhaustive research which started April 2009 and polled more than 7,000 schools nationwide. Methodology, criteria and weighting for the list were developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Board consisting of educators from across the country. The G.I. Jobs honor is yet another in a string of tributes to Park University's efforts to educate members of the U.S. military. In spring 2009, the University was one of 20 higher learning institutions in the country -- and the only one in the Midwest -- awarded a portion of a total of $2 million in grants from the American Council on Education and the WalMart Foundation. The $100,000 Success for Veterans Award Grant recognized model programs advancing access and success in higher education for veterans and their families. In addition, Park is one of the "Top 20 Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities" in the country, according to Military Advanced Education. Furthermore, this summer, Park was also selected as the top-ranked value among private colleges and universities nationwide by Parents & Colleges, an online resource for parents of college-bound students. Last year, Park University launched a Web site, Military.park.edu, dedicated to assisting veterans and current U.S. Military personnel with their higher education pursuits. The Web site provides a one-stop shop for current military members and veterans to get information about degrees and online programs at Park, as well as the application and financial aid process. "We are honored to provide personal assistance to our military and veteran community at Goodfellow," said Ms. Estes. "We will continue to help our students reach their educational goals by providing exceptional support to all of our students." For more information about how Park University serves the educational needs of the military, visit the Education office in building 320 or call (325) 654-4082. (Connie Hemple contributed to this article)
