College can provide a bridge to civilian life and success
LIBERAL, KS (Feb. 27, 2020) — Seward County Community College has long endeavored to serve the needs of veterans. Now, its efforts are official with the 2020-2021 Military Friendly® School designation.
“This is a student population that is near and dear to my heart,” said SCCC Registrar Alaina Rice, who completed the necessary paperwork.
Rice began recognizing veterans among SCCC team members and students with tricolor cords provided with graduation regalia in 2017. The red, white, and blue strands identify and honor the person’s service to the nation. It’s a small gesture, but an important one, she said.
“Those who have served literally put their lives on the line for all of us, and they deserve our gratitude,” she said. “The cords are a way for them, and us, to pause and remember that.”
Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,000 schools participated in the 2020-2021 survey with 695 earning the designation.
The 2020-2021 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May 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.
“Veterans are a small but powerful part of our student body, and we want to meet their needs and help them achieve their goals outside the military,” said Dean of Student Success Annette Hackbarth-Onson. As a granddaughter, daughter, and spouse of military servicemen, she is familiar with the opportunities and challenges presented by the veteran experience.
“Like any shift in life focus, going from the military to civilian life can be a big adjustment, and the goal is to provide smart support,” Hackbarth-Onson said. “In the office of student success, we are always interested to hear what veterans need, and then do all we can to implement those supports.”
Military Friendly’s National Director Josh Rosen stated, “Our ability to apply a clear, consistent standard to colleges creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages colleges to invest in programs to provide educational outcomes that are better for the Military Community as a whole.”
About Military Friendly® Schools: The Military Friendly® Schools list is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources for more than 8,800 schools nationwide, input from student veterans, and responses to the proprietary, data-driven Military Friendly® Schools survey from participating institutions. The survey questions, methodology, criteria and weighting were developed with the assistance of an independent research firm and an advisory council of educators and employers. The survey is administered for free and is open to all postsecondary schools that wish to participate.
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Categories: Awards & Honors, Our Community
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