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Eastern named one of the top colleges for veterans

Richmond Register - 12/5/2017

Dec. 05--Eastern Kentucky University has, once again, earned a top spot in the the annual Military Times: Best Colleges ranking.

That's no surprise to Alexander Rhodenfeld, a veteran of the United States Army, who chose to continue his education at EKU after his time in the service.

Rhodenfeld credits the university's Veterans Bridge to College Success cohort classes with helping the veteran transition from being a soldier to a student.

"Like anything, you grow accustomed to a certain way of doing things. In the military, there is a solid routine that you adhere to and there is a chain of command. There is also camaraderie and shared experience," Rhodenfeld said.

The veteran explained that after years of this disciplined lifestyle, coming back to a college campus was a shock.

The people who were Rhodenfeld's peers were very different from the vet and the decisions Rhodenfeld faced with a college major, class assignments and scheduling was overwhelming.

"Everything is just really lax," the veteran said with a laugh. "People talk differently, dress differently. It's like being on a different planet sometimes."

Luckily, Rhodenfeld said EKU's Office of Military and Veterans Affairs reached out to the veteran to help ease and guide him into a path that was right for him.

"They definitely treat veterans well at EKU," Rhodenfeld said. "I'm not surprised at all by the high ranking. They try very hard to get veterans involved on campus and help us tap into the resources available to us to finish or start are degrees."

The large veteran population presence on campus, which is home to more than 980 military-affiliated students and approximately 300 dependents, also helps to reform that sense of camaraderie lost when transitioning over to civilian life, Rhodenfeld explained.

In the 2018 ranking, EKU finished 14th, up from 17th a year ago, and was the top-ranked school in Kentucky.

EKU was one of 218 participating schools in the country chosen for the honor as well as the only school from Kentucky or any adjacent state to reach the top 20.

According to a press release from Military Times, a record number of schools participated in the exhausting, detailed 150-question survey that helps determine the rankings. However, only half of the applicants made the final list.

The rankings are determined by the survey as well as data from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense and Department of Education databases for information ranging from veteran-related policies to average salaries after graduation.

The rankings, which were formerly known as "Best for Vets: Colleges" measures schools on their commitment to helping military veterans further their education.

This isn't the first time EKU has earned national recognition for its innovative approach and services to U.S. military veterans and their dependents.

The university was recently selected as a Top School in the 2018 Military Advanced Education and Transition Guide to Colleges & Universities. EKU also has been recognized by Victory Media/G.I. Jobs magazine as a Military Friendly School each of the past eight years. U.S. Veterans magazine has also ranked EKU among its leading Veteran-Friendly Schools.

Much of the university's success was bolstered by the 2010 launch of EKU's Operation Veteran Success, a series of initiatives designed to make the University more veteran-friendly.

Part of the initiatives included no admission fees for undergraduate veterans, maximum credit hours for military experience, an on-site Vet Success on-campus coordinator, specially designated housing for student veterans in addition to numerous other resources and activities to keep student veterans engaged and on track to graduation.

The university offers a veteran studies minor, believed to be a first of its kind, in order to help those who haven't served in the military to better understand the issues that veterans face.

It's that effort, Rhodenfeld said, that makes EKU a great place for veterans.

For more information about services available at EKU for veterans and their dependents, contact the EKU Office of Military and Veterans Affairs at 859-622-2345, EKUVeteransAffairs@eku.edu or visit va.eku.edu.

Reach Ricki Barker at 624-6611; follow her on Twitter @RickiBReports.

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(c)2017 the Richmond Register (Richmond, Ky.)

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