At a glance
US News & World Report’s 2017 Best Colleges for Veterans places the school in sixth place among all northern regional colleges, and third best among public colleges in the North.
It’s not only on Veterans’ Day when students connected to military service feel honored and respected at Alfred State. US News & World Report’s 2017 Best Colleges for Veterans places the school in sixth place among all northern regional colleges, and third best among public colleges in the North.
Alfred State is also honored to be recognized for the lowest tuition out of all northern regional colleges ranked as a best bet for veterans by US News & World Report. The 2017 Best Colleges for Veterans list further shows that Alfred State is the only school with 3,000 students or more to earn the accolade among northern regional colleges. All of these honors combined with Alfred State being recognized for six straight years by Victory Media’s list of Military-Friendly® Schools, shows a dedication to assisting veterans who are now students.
“These honors are reflective of how the college makes veterans and ROTC students feel right at home,” said Nikkie Hockenberry, chief diversity officer and Title IX coordinator at Alfred State. “We all owe them our respect and admiration and it’s quite common to see fellow students thanking them for their military service.”
To be included in the list, colleges need to provide a variety of services to student veterans, and the media outlet also evaluated “which top-ranked schools offer benefits that can help them make pursuing a college education more affordable,” according to the report.
“From the veterans who are here sharpening skills to prepare for the workforce, to the young ROTC students who will soon enter the armed forces as commissioned officers, we have a large number of students with ties to the military and we offer them all kinds of support,” Hockenberry said.
From special spaces to socialize in, to recognitions and financial support, the college offers a long list of benefits to veterans. Some of the services available to Alfred State students with military service include:
- Veterans’ Lounge available in the EJ Brown Hall business building.
- Veterans’ Resource Center is in the Student Leadership Center.
- SALUTE recognizes academic achievement of student veterans.
- Hero of the Week rewards veteran and military service members.
- Veterans are exempt from the cost of campus parking fees.
- Yellow Ribbon Program of the Post-9/11 GI Bill is available for students.
- Military Tuition Assistance (TA) funding is accepted.
- Principles of Excellence from the Department of Education are followed.
- Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) military science and training offered.
- Basic military science courses and activities are also open to all students.
- Veterans Advisory Committee monitors all services and needs for student veterans.
US News & World Report only honors a handful of northern regional colleges meeting the criteria to be among the Best Colleges for Veterans. Alfred State’s placement in the 2017 report is the highest ranking ever achieved by the college.
