The University of West Alabama has been named to the coveted Military Friendly Schools list published by Victory Media, the premier media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life. The recognition comes following a heightened effort by the University to provide convenient educational opportunities to active duty and veteran military service personnel and their families.

The 2014 Military Friendly Schools list honors the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans, and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus.

“Inclusion on the 2014 list of Military Friendly Schools® shows UWA’s commitment to providing a supportive environment for military students,” said Sean Collins, vice president at Victory Media and a nine-year Navy veteran. “The need for education is growing, and our mission is to provide the military community with transparent, world-class resources to assist in their search for schools.”

Like UWA, the colleges, universities and trade schools on this year’s list exhibit leading practices in the recruitment and retention of students with military experience. These schools have world-class programs and policies for student support on campus, academic accreditation, credit policies, flexibility and other services to those who served.

“While we are proud that our efforts to enhance the support we provide to military personnel and their families has received national recognition, we will continue to pursue new and innovative ways going forward to assist our nation’s military personnel in pursuit of their educational goals,” said UWA Provost Dr. David Taylor.

Now in its fifth year, the 2014 list of Military Friendly Schools was compiled through extensive research and a data-driven survey of more than 10,000 schools nationwide approved for VA tuition funding.

The survey results that comprise the 2014 list were independently tested by Ernst & Young LLP based upon the weightings and methodology established by Victory Media.

Each year schools taking 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 (AAB) consisting of educators from schools across the country. A full list of board members can be found at http://militaryfriendlyschools.com/board.

Victory Media is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business that has been serving the military community since 2001. Its data-driven Military Friendly lists are published in several media outlets and republished in periodicals like “USA Today,” “Wall Street Journal,” “Fortune,” and “Bloomberg BW” and are frequently cited on national television by NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, CNBC, Fox News and others.

To learn more about the University of West Alabama’s educational programs and opportunities for military personnel, contact the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Management at 1-800-621-8044 or visit www.uwa.edu.