OSU once again named a top 100 college for veterans

Friday, November 8, 2019

Oklahoma State University has once again been named one of the top 100 colleges for veterans by the Military Times news agency.
Now in its third year competing in the annual survey, OSU dropped a bit to 69th for 2020, down from 57th last year but up from 85th in 2018 in the four-year-school category.

“We know we have room to improve and several university-wide initiatives are currently being planned, with strong support from OSU’s leadership,” said Rick Hansen, a retired Marine Corps captain and coordinator of OSU’s Office of Student Veteran Success, which was established in the summer of 2015. “We’re thrilled to receive this recognition once again. It shows the great job OSU does meeting the needs of our student veterans and other military-affiliated students.”

New this year the Office of Student Veteran Success will be conducting awareness training for faculty and staff to provide a deeper understanding of student veterans and their military experience while offering “best practices” to help those students succeed academically.

OSU serves roughly 400 student veterans and 12 active-duty military personnel along with 120 reservists and National Guard personnel who are using Veteran Affairs educational benefits. The university serves hundreds of military dependents and has 143 faculty and staff who are veterans, according to Hansen.

OSU’s Office of Student Veteran Success helps veteran and military-affiliated students transition into and out of college through coordination on campus, in the community and with state and federal organizations. It offers reintegration counseling, help in filing benefit claims, emergency funding, monthly luncheons, Veterans Day week activities, a Women Veterans Symposium each spring, and focused efforts during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.

The survey, released in October, took answers and federal data from hundreds of participating colleges and ranked the top schools based on university culture, academic outcomes/quality, student support and academic policies, along with cost and financial aid.
Military Times — now in its 10th year compiling the best colleges for veterans — is an independent news agency covering issues of importance to service members and their families.

To see the rankings, visit here.

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Monica Roberts | Director of Media Relations | 405-744-4800 | monica.roberts@okstate.edu