For the fourth consecutive year, Lewis and Clark Community College has been named to the Military Friendly Schools ® list.
The 2014 Military Friendly Schools ® list honors the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus.
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L&C offers a variety of services and benefits to veterans and their families. L&C’s Veterans Services office serves more than 250 military and veteran students, their spouses and their dependents each semester. These groups receive assistance with a variety of State of Illinois and VA education benefits such as the Montgomery GI Bill, the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment and Dependents' Educational Assistance as well as information on employment, physical and mental health, campus events, community agencies offering services, etc.
The Veterans Club on campus also serves military and veteran students as well as any student interested in the club and its activities. The club sponsors blood drives, collects shoes and eyeglasses for re-use, conducts fundraisers and donates to campus and community activities such as the veteran memorials in Edwardsville and Wood River.
A Veterans Resource Center has been established on the third floor of Baldwin Hall on L&C’s
Godfrey campus. The center provides computers, a TV and resource materials in a relaxed
atmosphere where veterans can study or talk with peers. Madison County Veterans Assistance Commission, Illinois Department of Employment Security, Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs and VA Vet Center veteran representatives also utilize the center for meeting with students.
“We are very proud to be recognized for our commitment to helping military and veteran students achieve their education goals,” said Terry Lane, associate director of Veterans Services at L&C, and a veteran himself. “Their representation in the student body continues to increase, and we continue to explore ways to address and anticipate their needs.”
College and Foundation Board Member Dwight Werts and his wife Cheryl Werts have made a significant contribution to establish a Veteran’s Emergency Fund for L&C students. The Werts family donated $10,000 to establish a loan fund for veterans, which was matched with a $10,000 contribution from the President’s Circle, to establish a $20,000 loan fund for this growing student population.
The Military Friendly Schools ® media and website, www.militaryfriendlyschools.com, features the list of schools, interactive tools and search functionality to help military and veteran students/spouses find the best school to suit their unique needs and preferences. The 1,868 colleges, universities and trade schools on this year’s list exhibit leading practices in the recruitment and retention of students with military experience.
“Inclusion on the 2014 list of Military Friendly Schools ® shows Lewis and Clark’s commitment to providing a supportive environment for military and veteran students,” said Sean Collins, vice president at Victory Media and nine-year Navy veteran.
The 2014 list of Military Friendly Schools ® was compiled through extensive research and a data-driven survey of more than 10,000 VA-approved schools nationwide. Ernst and Young LLP independently verified the survey tabulation process, methodology and weightings that comprise the 2013 list.
Each year schools completing the survey are held to a higher standard than the previous year via improved methodology, criteria and weightings developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Board consisting of educators from schools across the country.
A full story and detailed list of 2014 Military Friendly Schools ® will be highlighted in the Guide to Military Friendly Schools ®, distributed in print and digital format to hundreds of thousands of active and former military personnel in early October 2013.
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