The University of Montevallo has been designated as a Military Friendly School for the third consecutive year and earned its highest-ever ranking in the small public schools category with a No. 7 ranking following an announcement by the Military Friendly program March 7.
UM earned Top Ten honors for its support of military members and their dependents this year and has received special recognition in the past as a Military Spouse Friendly School.
“The Office of Veteran and Military Affairs is honored to receive the designation as a Military Friendly School again this year,” said Traci Crenshaw, director and school certifying official in the UM Office of Military and Veteran Affairs.
“To be ranked seventh amongst the nation’s small schools is a huge recognition for all of the work the University of Montevallo has done to welcome veterans and their dependents to the UM family and acknowledge their value to our campus community. For many, it is their home away from home. Our campus Veteran Center is only five years old, so our mission is to continue to work hard for our military-related students to ensure they know they belong at Montevallo.”
More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2023-2024 survey with less than half receiving Military Friendly recognition, according to the Military Friendly program.
Founded in 2003, the Military Friendly program creates civilian opportunities for veterans, according to Military Friendly. By setting a standard, promoting it and raising the bar over time, it provides long-term, positive reinforcement for American organizations to invest in programs that improve the lives of military families. It is the standard that measures an organization’s commitment, effort and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefit for the military community.
Military Friendly Schools, a subbranch of Military Friendly focused on military opportunities provided by higher education, evaluates public data sources and responses from an annual survey to determine which schools deserve a Military Friendly designation. The Military Friendly Schools survey is the longest-running, most comprehensive review of college and university investments in serving military and veteran students.
The public data sources used to check institutions have three or more of the following federal programs in operation and good standing:
- Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program (provision of the Post-9/11 GI Bill)
- Official commitment to the Eight Keys to Veterans’ Success
- VA’s Principles of Excellence
- Federal Financial Aid Shopping Sheet
- Armed Forces Tuition Assistance (TA) Funding
- DoD Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Tuition Assistance
- Veteran Success on Campus (VSOC) Program
- Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges Network
They also use public data sources to check if institutions have any federal precautionary flags against them, such as:
- The number of veteran student complaints reported by the VA is greater than or equal to 5% of total enrolled veterans at the school.
- The institution is currently or was under one or more federal precautionary flags within the last 12 months.
- The institution’s accreditation has not been suspended.
- The institution’s federal programs have not been suspended.
Learn more about the UM Veteran and Military Affairs office here.