Indiana University East was named as a Military Friendly School by Victory Media Inc., the premier media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life. The 2014 Military Friendly Schools® list honors the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans, and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus.

This is the fifth year Victory Media has released its list of Military Friendly Schools. The list is available at militaryfriendlyschools.com.

IU East has 262 veteran military students, of which 70 receive VA benefits.

“We are very happy to be one of the friendliest colleges or universities in the country in general, but especially with respect to military and veteran service members. As a veteran myself, I am particularly proud of what we do to support our military colleagues,” said Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Larry Richards.

Mary Blakefield, associate vice chancellor for Academic Support Programs and dean of students said, “Military service members are an important group of students at IU East. Some of these students are on campus, others are stationed at bases across the U.S. and around the world. Students in the military are finding that our online programs are a convenient option, offering the flexibility to complete classes no matter where they are.”

IU East also helps its veteran students through the Student Veteran’s Organization which assists student service members in all areas of potential difficulty, particularly those related to academic success, the transition into civilian life and continuing military obligations. The SVO is advised by IU East Registrar Dennis Hicks, who is a retired Navy warrant officer.

“I am proud to work at Indiana University East where everyone truly appreciates the sacrifices our military students have made, and continue to make, for our country,” Hicks said. “From top to bottom, there is a concerted effort by everyone on campus to make the transition from soldier to student as seamless and as stress free as possible for our veterans. Being officially recognized as a Military Friendly School for 2014 is great because it publicly validates what we at IU East already knew.”

The list of Military Friendly Schools includes interactive tools and allows military students to search for universities and colleges based on their unique needs and preferences. The list serves as the primary resource for service members and military families seeking education and has played a significant role over the past five years in capturing and advancing best practices in supporting military students on campuses across the country. These schools have world-class programs and policies for student support on campus, academic accreditation, credit policies, flexibility and other services to those who served.

The list was compiled through extensive research and a data-driven survey of more than 10,000 schools nationwide approved for VA tuition funding. The survey results that comprise the 2014 list were independently tested by Ernst & Young LLP based upon the weightings and methodology established by Victory Media. Each year schools taking the survey are held to a higher standard than the previous year via improved methodology, criteria and weightings developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Board (AAB) consisting of educators from schools across the country.