St. Cloud State University has earned the 2021 Military Friendly® Top 10 School designation and is ranked No. 4 in the Large Public category, up two spots from 2020.
St. Cloud State exceeded Military Friendly standards on every measure.
As a Top 10 school, St. Cloud State is among the Top 10 in our scoring category with an overall rank of 4 in the Large Public school category. Top 10 schools are seen by Military Friendly as setting “the standard for other designations and are programs that continue to improve every year.”
“This designation given to St. Cloud State helps us explain our commitment and our story to the military and veteran communities in Minnesota and across the country,” said Zac Mangas, St. Cloud State Veterans Resource Center director. “We aren’t just telling prospective students we are a veteran or military-friendly campus. We are gathering data, sharing programs and discussing support systems created that help this community be successful.”
St. Cloud State has improved policies and procedures for student-veterans and offers in-state tuition and waiving application fees for all veteran applicants.
Once veterans are enrolled, St. Cloud State offers free tutoring, employment help and programs to ease the transition to civilian life.
“It takes a community of dedicated staff, faculty and departments to ensure our students receive support in a variety of ways,” Mangas said. “This support provided by St. Cloud State helps our military-connected students move forward with the goal of earning a degree. We are all proud of the work this campus is doing to make that happen.”
The designation joins other veterans-related accolades for St. Cloud State including the 2020 ‘Best for Vets” ranking by Military Times. The Fighting Saints Battalion, a joint Army ROTC program between St. Cloud State, St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict, is ranked No. 1 in Minnesota for 2020.
St. Cloud State was one of only 747 schools to earn the Military Friendly Schools designation for 2020-2021. The university is one of only 13 of Minnesota colleges or universities on the list and one of six Minnesota State institutions honored along with St. Cloud Technical & Community College.
Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,200 schools participated in the 2021-2022 survey.
Visit our Veterans Resource Center website to find out more information about St. Cloud State’s student veteran programs.
The 2021-2022 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.
Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey response set and government/agency public data sources, within a logic based scoring assessment. We measure the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for Student Retention, Graduation, Job Placement, Loan Repayment, Persistence (Degree Advancement or Transfer) and Loan Default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.
Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey response set and government/agency public data sources, within a logic-based scoring assessment. They looked at the institutions’ ability to meet thresholds for Student Retention, Graduation, Job Placement, Loan Repayment, Persistence (Degree Advancement or Transfer) and Loan Default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans. View the methodology.
“Schools who achieve designation show true commitment and dedication in their efforts. Our standards assist schools by providing a benchmark that promotes positive educational outcomes, resources, and support services that better the educational landscape and provide opportunity for the Military Community,” said Military Friendly’s National Director of Military Partnerships Josh Kayla Lopez.
St. Cloud State Military and Veterans programs
Veterans Living Community – great opportunity for service members and student veterans who want to share an apartment and receive support, one-on-one meetings with the VRC director, and have assistance while pursuing their degree.
Military-connected student orientation — helps students connect with one another and key staff that will help them persist in school. This also includes the Veterans Appreciation Picnic where they connect with community support and other students at the start of the academic year.
Award winning ROTC program
Veterans Fall Retreat – each October we take students out to Camp Courage to connect with nature, ride horses, and have a bonfire and cookout. Those with families come out and they meet one another and share a time of relaxation away from their studies. We have developed a great partner with Camp Courage who offers this free of charge to our student veterans.
Veterans Day Programs and Concerts
Yellow Ribbon Company — supporting military veterans within our surrounding community who need assistance, such as elderly veterans with yard work, snow removal or moving to another residence.
Veterans Resource Center — We offer student veterans the opportunity to be employed in the Veterans Resource Center, as well as:
- peer mentorships
- scholarships
- private study room
- computer lab
- social lounge
- Student Veterans Organization
- access to information on education benefits
- a student veteran emergency relief fund
- access to tutor funding and other financial assistance
- credit for military service and training
- exit interviews
- honor cords for student veteran graduates
