Middlesex College has earned the 2021-22 Military Friendly School designation.
The list was developed by Viqtory Media, which annually highlights colleges, universities and employers that are military friendly. Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Over 1,200 schools participated in the 2021-22 survey with 747 earning the designation, according to information provided by Middlesex College.
The 2021-22 Military Friendly Schools list will be published in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.
Ratings measured the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer) and loan default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.
Michael Barany, coordinator of the Middlesex College Veterans Center, said he was proud of the designation, which the college has earned numerous times, and he was grateful for the generous support of the Willard T.C. Johnson Foundation, which has funded the center since its inception in 2012, according to the statement.
“The foundation has allowed us to make a huge difference in the lives of these men and women,” he said in the statement. “I’m so proud of them and their success.”
Barany highlighted several center initiatives.
“First is the formal training we give to faculty and staff that allows them to understand what our military-affiliated students have been through,” he said in the statement. “We also offer academic advising, tutoring, and we have a VetsSuccess counselor on campus. All this helps our students succeed, and it also alleviates stress as they map out their future.”
Another plus is the Veterans and Servicemembers Association, a student organization that develops extracurricular activities for veterans and promotes community service opportunities, according to the statement. In the past the group has visited veterans in local nursing homes and participated in Operation Shoebox, in which they packed food and hygiene items that were delivered to troops overseas.
Kayla Lopez, national director of military partnerships for the Military Friendly program, said schools that achieve this designation have much of which to be proud.
“Military Friendly is committed to transparency and providing consistent data-driven standards in our designation process,” she said in the statement. “This creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages colleges to consistently evolve and invest in their programs. Schools who achieve designation show true commitment and dedication in their efforts. Our standards assist schools by providing a benchmark that promotes positive educational outcomes, resources, and support services that better the educational landscape and provide opportunity for the military community.”