Thomas University has been named to the 2014 Annual Military Friendly Schools List. This marks the fifth annual compilation of the list, on which Thomas University has been featured each year. The Military Friendly Schools List provides a resource for military students seeking education. The list also captures the best practices among schools in recruitment and retention of military students.

 “Thomas University is dedicated to honoring our service members and their families by supporting their educational goals.  Their military service provides a framework for being excellent students, and we can assist them in adding a degree to their credentials that take them to the next level professionally or open other doors to other career opportunities,” said Dr. Jill Dennis, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management.  “We are proud to be recognized for this distinction.”

 To be included on the list, a college or university must rank among the “top 20 percent of all colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide for its service to military members, veterans, and spouses as students to ensure their success in completing a college degree,” according to the Military Friendly Schools website.

 Members of the services who are on active duty receive a 55 percent reduction in tuition paying the rate of just $250 per undergraduate credit hour.  TU is a member of Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC), a consortium of colleges and universities dedicated to helping service members and their families get college degrees. Military students can take courses in their off-duty time. Some benefits extend to family members of active duty military and veterans as well.  TU encourages students to use the GI Bill to their fullest benefit and assists them in the process.

Jason Baldwin is one student who knows firsthand about the qualities that placed TU on the Military Friendly Schools list. He currently works with the Thomasville Police Department as a Patrol Officer and a Field Training Officer. Baldwin served in the Army from 2000 to 2004 and participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom and was involved in the taking of Baghdad.

“The TU personnel really helped me get the ball rolling when I decided to return to school to get my degree in Criminal Justice,” Baldwin said. “I started off using the Montgomery G.I. Bill but had to switch out to the Post 911 GI Bill in January of this year. I thought the transition was going to be rough, but the VA representative in the Financial Aid Department at TU was very helpful.”

Baldwin said he chose TU because of the convenient location, online classes, and credits TU accepted from other schools and courses.

“I would tell others seeking to use military benefits to further their education to find the school that is right for them and start the process of getting enrolled,” he said. “Don’t stand by and let these benefits expire. In two years at TU, I have not had to pay out of pocket to go to school or for books because of my military benefits. There are people out there every day wishing they had the financial help that I have had to get my bachelor’s degree.”

Extensive research and a survey of more than 10,000 VA-approved schools nationwide are used to create the list.

The survey results were independently tested by Ernst & Young LLP. To view the complete list, visitwww.militaryfriendlyschools.com. To learn more about Thomas University, visit www.thomasu.edu.