Your news: Harper named to military-friendly list

Submitted by: Erin Brooks, media relations specialist, Harper College

Months after establishing a new Student Veterans Association - a group offering support and camaraderie to the growing ranks of veterans on campus - Harper College has been named a Military Friendly School, an honor lauding universities and colleges nationwide for their efforts to embrace America's veterans-turned-students.

The title, given to the top 15 percent of surveyed American colleges, universities and trade schools, was announced by G.I. Jobs magazine this week.

"We've always been dedicated to helping our veterans succeed, but this distinction shows someone else recognizes our efforts," says Thomas Warfield, Harper's Veterans Assistant. "Having veterans on campus benefits all of us - they bring a unique perspective and different experiences to the table - and we want to do all we can do to be a friendly and welcoming place for them to advance their education."

The distinction comes on the heels of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which provides tens of billions of dollars in higher education tuition money for veterans and has driven tens of thousands of American to the nation's colleges. The Military Friendly Schools list offers a trusted recommendation for the best schools for those veterans to attend, G.I. Jobs publisher Rich McCormack says.

"It is the gold standard in letting veterans know which schools will offer them the greatest opportunity, flexibility and overall experience," agrees Derek Blumke, president of Student Veterans of America and a member of the Academic Advisory Board that helped determine the list's methodology, weighting and criteria.

Harper stood out in part for its on-campus veterans programming, which includes the new Student Veterans Association. Michael James Tumilty, who served six years in the U.S. Air Force before enrolling in Harper's Nursing program, helped found the Harper group and is now serving as its president.

"Veterans benefit tremendously from colleges that are understanding and accommodating, and Harper is one of them," Tumilty says. The College's veterans enrollment climbed by more than 22 percent from Fall 2008 to Fall 2009. A full list of Military Friendly Schools will be distributed in September to veterans and active-duty military. Visit www.militaryfriendlyschools.com.

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