G.I. Jobs has named Indiana University Northwest a 2013 Military Friendly School^®, according to the magazine’s most recent ranking of colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide.

The list honors the top 15 percent of higher education institutions that have committed to embracing the needs of active-duty and veteran students.

“We are proud to be listed as a Military Friendly School, as we work diligently to best serve the educational needs of our veteran and active-duty students, and of those students who have made a future commitment to the U.S. Armed Forces through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program on our campus,” Chancellor William J. Lowe said.

Veterans’ learning experiences

IU Northwest is proud to be the university-of-choice to more than 130 veteran, active-duty and reservist students.

Adaptability, accessibility and support are all hallmarks of the IU Northwest learning experience and are among the reasons often cited by veteran students for why they choose to pursue their IU degrees at the Northwest campus.

U.S. Army Sergeant Craig VanDyke, of Schererville, for example, said that he took advantage of services at IU Northwest that helped him ease back into college life after his military service.

Sgt. VanDyke took an academic hiatus from the School of Business and Economics when he deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  His subsequent reentry into civilian life was not easy, but he credited IU Northwest, and specifically the Office of Veterans Affairs Services, for facilitating his transition back into his degree program.

He graduated in May 2012 with his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

U.S. Army Sgt. Shawna Wakefield, of Valparaiso, is another success story. Sgt. Wakefield is a single mother of four who graduated in May 2012 with her Bachelor of Arts degree in History, after 15 years of diligent work and perseverance.

She achieved her dream of a college degree despite balancing her parental and academic commitments with mandatory drills and annual two-week training obligations, as a proud member of the Indiana Army National Guard’s 113^th Engineer Battalion.   

“Making higher education work for students like Sgt. VanDyke and Sgt. Wakefield is central to the IU Northwest mission,” Lowe said. “Their personal and intellectual commitment to achieving a degree made their success possible, while the campus’s collective efforts and involvement - defined in flexibility, patience and guidance – furnished a workable foundation for their degree objectives.”

About the Military Friendly School® Designation

Now in its fourth year, the 2013 Military Friendly School^® list was compiled through extensive research and a data-driven survey of more than 12,000 VA-approved schools nationwide.

A Military Friendly Schools Academic Advisory Board helped to determine survey questions and weightings.

The survey tabulation process, methodology and weightings that comprise the 2013 list was independently verified by Ernst & Young LLP.

The board reviewed the schools in the following categories: military support on campus (non-financial); academic credibility; percentage of military students; academic credit for military service; flexibility for military students; veteran graduation rates; government approvals; student tuition assistance; and military spouse policies.

About G.I. Jobs

G.I. Jobs is published by Victory Media, a veteran-owned business which also publishes The Guide to Military Friendly Schools, Military Spouse and Vetrepreneur magazines, and annually rates the nation’s “Military Friendly Employers,” “Military Spouse Friendly Employers” and “Best Corporations for Veteran-Owned Businesses.” G.I. Jobs is the premier media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life.