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Wed, 06 Dec 2017 13:45:12 +0000

Penn State Berks named to Military Times' Best Colleges 2018 list admin Wed, 12/06/2017 - 08:45 December 6, 2017
READING, Pa. — Military Times recently announced its "Military Times Best: Colleges 2018" rankings, and Penn State Berks was included on the list of best colleges for service members, military veterans and their families. Ranked at No. 128, Berks is the only Penn State campus — and one of just six colleges in Pennsylvania — to appear on the list in the 4-year-schools category.

Formerly known as "Best for Vets," the ranking is in its eighth year, and the rankings factor in the results of Military Times’ annual survey, the most comprehensive school-by-school assessment of veteran and military student services and rates of academic achievement. Best Colleges 2018 is an editorially independent news project that evaluates the many factors that help make colleges and universities a good fit for service members, military veterans and their families. More than 600 colleges took part in this year’s detailed survey.

Currently, approximately 150 veterans and dependents are enrolled at Penn State Berks. The Office of Veteran Affairs at Penn State Berks offers:

Support to help with the transition from military life to the college environment;

Peer mentoring (Veterans Outreach);

Assistance with making the transition from college to the workforce;

VA certifying officials;

College credit for military experience;

Student Veterans of America–Penn State Berks Chapter;

Veterans and dependents information workshops; and

Priority registration.

In addition, the Student Veterans of America–Penn State Berks Chapter recently received a $10,000 grant from the Home Depot Foundation and Student Veterans of America (SVA) for its veteran center on campus, as part of the Vet Center Initiative. The grant was used to transform space in the Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building into a new student veteran center on campus.

"Of the hundreds of schools that applied, fewer than half received the Military Times Best Colleges designation this year. Only the best made the cut," said George Altman, the Military Times editor in charge of the rankings. "For the past eight years, we've seen colleges and universities consistently increasing their resources, revising their policies and improving their academic outcomes for military and veteran students. The rankings showcase the very best of these efforts."

Military Times’ annual Best Colleges survey asks colleges and universities to meticulously document a tremendous array of services, special rules, accommodations and financial incentives offered to students with military ties; and to describe many aspects of veteran culture on a campus. Military Times also factors in data from the U.S. Veterans Affairs and Defense departments, as well as three Education Department sources: the IPEDS Data Center, College Scorecard data and the Cohort Default Rate Database.

For the full list, visit the full Military Times Best: Colleges 2018 rankings.