Johnson College Earns 2022-2023 Military Friendly ® School Designation Johnson College announced today that it has earned the 2022-2023 Military Friendly ® School designation. Institutions earning the Military Friendly ® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2022-2023 survey with 665 earning special awards for going above the standard. The 2022-2023 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May and October issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com. Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly ® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the assessment of 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. “Johnson College remains committed to helping our servicemen and women and their families further their education,” said Bill Burke, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Affairs at Johnson College. “The College’s dedicated staff assists with needs specific to military students. We provide dedicated space as well as priority scheduling and registration for our service members and veterans.” “Military Friendly® is committed to transparency and providing consistent data-driven standards in our designation process. Our standards provide a benchmark that promotes positive outcomes and support services that better the educational landscape and provide opportunity for the Military Community. This creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages colleges to evolve and invest in their programs consistently. Schools who achieve awards designation show true commitment in their efforts, going over and above that standard.” – Kayla Lopez, National Director of Military Partnerships, Military Friendly®. For more information about Johnson College’s Veteran Student Services, visit https://johnson.edu/future-students/veterans/.
Boback’s Bill to Establish Purple Star School Program Legislation to establish the Purple Star School Program in Pennsylvania, sponsored by Rep. Karen Boback (R-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Wyoming), chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, advanced to the Senate after its unanimous passage in the House of Representatives today. “A child in an average military family may move up to nine times during their school-age years, creating a unique set of challenges,” said Boback. “The Purple Star School Program would make the Commonwealth’s service members aware that a school is dedicated to responding to the special needs their children face during transitions to a new community.” Under House Bill 1867, Pennsylvania schools would be designated as Purple Star campuses if they demonstrate military-friendly practices and meet certain requirements such as: having a military liaison staff member; a webpage that includes resources for military students and families; and professional development training opportunities for staff members on issues relating to military students. Boback noted the program is voluntary for school districts. Pennsylvania would join 27 other states that have Purple Star designation programs if Boback’s bill becomes law.
Lackawanna College Named a Military Friendly® School Lackawanna College earned the 2021-2022 Military Friendly® School designation by VIQTORY. The College has received this designation multiple times. Each year, the list of Military Friendly® Schools is provided to service members and their families to aid them in selecting the best college, university, or trade school to receive the education and training needed to pursue a civilian career. More than 1,200 schools participated in the 2021-2022 survey, with 750 schools earning the designation. Being designated as Military Friendly® means that Lackawanna College shows a commitment to creating sustainable civilian opportunities for veterans. The College has developed several academic and social support programs to make the process of navigating the college experience easier and ensuring that veteran students meet all requirements set out in the most recent GI Bill® of benefits. “Our student veterans bring great qualities that enhance our college community,” said Catherine Fox, Student Life Coordinator and Veterans Advisor for Lackawanna College. “We are proud to be chapter members of Student Veterans of America. We have a fantastic veterans lounge and participate in SALUTE, a National Honor Society specific to student veterans. We appreciate everything these students have done for their country and want to ensure that they are given the resources they need to succeed in college.” Data for the Military Friendly® designation is acquired from public data sources, proprietary data from the Military Friendly® survey and personal data from surveys from veterans. All determinations are made by VIQTORY with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. The 2021-2022 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine. The list can also be found at www.militaryfriendly.com For more information about Lackawanna’s commitment to attracting and supporting military students, visit lackawanna.edu/veterans.
