OCU recently was named a Military Friendly School for the seventh-consecutive year by a media outlet.
Schools named to the list are known for helping military personnel make the transition back to civilian life.
Victory Media operates militaryfriendly.com, a website that lists companies and schools that actively support military personnel. The site uses surveys in order to decide which schools are put on the list. OCU has made the list since its creation in 2009 and is one of 30 schools on this year’s list from Oklahoma.
Chuck Flint, assistant director of transfer and military admissions, said what draws veterans to OCU are the small class sizes and personalized attention from professors, which can make college less intimidating for those whom may have been out of school for awhile.
“A lot of them haven’t been in school for years,” Flint said. “If you haven’t been to school in four to 20 years, that can be daunting to get back into school full time again.”
OCU has a higher percentage of veteran students than many larger state schools, Flint said. Most have about 2 percent of their student population who are veterans. OCU has 2.6 percent.
Though the recognition is nice, Flint said the school would still support veterans without it.
“It’s wonderful to get the recognition, and for veteran students it’s another way to help compare schools,” he said.
The university is also a Yellow Ribbon School, meaning veterans who use their benefits to pay for school receive additional support from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Many veterans come to OCU for the nursing program, but veterans are represented across campus in a wide array of majors spanning from art to science.
Some students are glad that the university is supportive of veterans.
Jason Kelly, mass communications senior and Army veteran, said he has found OCU accommodating.
“There are people on staff here who have made it their mission to assist veterans in every aspect of their educational experience,” he said. “All of the faculty and staff have been personally invested in my success.”
The Military Friendly Schools list is published in G.I. Jobs, Military Spouse and Vetrepeneur magazines.
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