University of New Haven Named a “Best for Vets” College
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The University of New Haven (UNH) has been ranked among the nation’s best colleges for veterans. The 2014 “Best for Vets Colleges” list, developed by Military Times, places New Haven among the top 80 institutions in the nation, ranking at number 59. UNH is the only higher education institution from Connecticut to earn a place on the list.
In addition to e
valuating schools’ veteran-focused operations, the publication considered more than a dozen different measures of academic success, quality and rigor, as reported by schools and the Education Department, to develop the rankings.
Representatives of about 600 schools responded to the Best for Vets: Colleges 2014 survey, comprising of 150 questions that delved into school operations in unprecedented detail, according to the publication.
The results indicated that many more schools are tracking the academic success of their military and veteran students — but the majority still do not. Last year, fewer than 11 percent of school representatives responding to the survey said they track completion rates for current and former service members. This year, more than a third said they track similar academic success measures for such students, the publication’s website pointed out.
Military veterans of UNH (MVUNH) is a Student Group formed to both support current UNH Veteran student and encourage a UNH "Veteran friendly" campus to attract new Veteran students. The university’s purpose is to create a community of veterans who will use their knowledge and experiences to educate the university community and advocate on behalf of student veterans. Members meet once a month to discuss current events and provide new information.
The newly renovated and furnished Veterans Success Center on the UNH campus serves as common place for students to study, gather for MVUNH club meetings and relax. The Center has four computers with access to printing, a microwave and refrigerator available to student veterans to use during breaks between classes. The Veteran Success Center is heralded as a great place to meet fellow veterans and find out about veteran programming on campus and within the community.
In an effort to strengthen support for student veterans, Veteran Services and the University of New Haven have created a Student Veteran Emergency Fund. Entirely dependent upon donations, the Student Veteran Emergency Fund has been established to assist student veterans who encounter an unforeseen financial emergency throughout the semester, including a delay i
n benefits, BAH and book stipends from the VA.
The University of New Haven is also a partner of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, located in West Haven. VITAL is a VA initiative aimed to support student veterans on campus in their successful transition to academia and in completion of their educational goals. The University also participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans.
