Posted 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021
UWL earns silver rating for supporting military students
UW-La Crosse is among the most military friendly schools in the country, according to the 2021-22 Military Friendly Schools survey.
UWL earned a silver designation in this year’s survey, an improvement over the bronze it received last year. More than 1,200 schools nationwide participated in the survey, with 747 campuses identified as military friendly. The silver rating is the third-highest mark a school can receive.
“I am delighted that UWL is named a military friendly school for 2021-22,” says Jane Brannan, veteran’s education benefits coordinator at UWL. “Earning a silver designation is an honor and validates our efforts to address the needs of student veterans. It reflects our ongoing commitment and is the result of many dedicated faculty and staff.”
Colleges were evaluated using survey results and public data, with particular emphasis on student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence, and loan default rates for all students and student veterans specifically.
The full results will be published in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.
Brannan says some of the programs and activities for veterans and military-connected students at UWL include:
• Certifying federal and state veteran education benefits
• Holistic assistance in applying for, receiving, and resolving issues with federal and state veteran education benefits
• Priority registration for veterans and current-serving service members
• Written military withdrawal policy
• Dedicated veterans lounge in the Student Union
• General elective credit for completed military training annotated on the Joint Services Transcript or Community College of the Air Force transcript
• Equivalency credit for General Education category No. 9 for completing Basic Training
• Veterans-only UWL100 section (service ran through fall 2019)
• Active Student Veterans of America (SVA) chapter
• Extensive military-connected scholarships published in the Scholarship Resource Center’s database
• Veterans Advisory Committee
• Military-connected speakers and presentations up to two times each academic year
• Collaboration with Campus Climate Office to present a veterans’ teach-in (fall 2019)
• Stole and Recognition Ceremony to honor graduating veteran students, along with a faculty or staff member chosen by the student
• Army ROTC offered on campus. The UWL Eagle Battalion Army ROTC includes students not only from UWL, but also St. Mary’s University in Winona, Viterbo University and Winona State University.
For more information about UWL’s student veterans program, visit www.uwlax.edu/veteran-services/.