Some institutions call it white-glove treatment, others call it concierge service and some refer to it as their red-carpet rollout.
These are among the descriptions colleges and universities are using to attract the growing number of transitioning military students. As more aid has become available for college attendance through the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, institutions are striving to compete for those prospects, estimated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to number 1.1 million.
The bill covers 100 percent of a public, four-year undergraduate education to a veteran who has served three years on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001.
Rankings and designations
One of the ways the schools compete is by attaining military-specific rankings and designations. One of those is Military Friendly, a trademarked term for the ratings division of a privately owned company, Victory Media, which rates higher education institutions, as well as businesses, based on their programs to recruit and retain military veterans. Victory Media and Military Friendly are not government entities.
One of those is The Ohio State University (OSU), where 2,300 military-connected students are enrolled in the 65,000-student public institution. The Columbus-based university has earned the designation, as well as the distinction of being No. 1 on the CollegeFactual.com list of 100 Best Schools for Veterans.
OSU stands out among Military Friendly universities because it offers not only specific services and programs for veterans but Veterans House, a campus residence for military veterans, active duty, Reserve and National Guard. “If it’s their first year on campus, all military and veterans have that camaraderie here that they have in the military,” says Michael Carrell, assistant vice provost and director of the Office of Military and Veterans Services, explaining OSU’s establishment of Veterans House five years ago. “We also have housing for graduate and married military students.”
