Northwest annually celebrates veterans and their families during its Military Appreciation football game. The University recently was named a Military Friendly institution for the seventh consecutive year. (Northwest Missouri State University photo)

Nov. 5, 2018

Northwest is Military Friendly School for seventh consecutive year

Victory Media, a media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, has named Northwest Missouri State University a Military Friendly School for 2018-19 in recognition of the University’s commitment to embracing military service members, veterans and their family members and ensuring their success on campus.

This marks the seventh consecutive year Northwest has been named on the list, which honors colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are delivering the best experience for military students.

“The Military Friendly designation shows that Northwest is willing to step up and make a commitment to help veterans pursue their education after the sacrifices they have endured,” Chris Scroggins, a financial assistance counselor in Northwest’s Office of Financial Assistance, said.

Scroggins, who earned his bachelor’s degree in comprehensive crisis response at Northwest, previously worked for Team Rubicon, leading disaster response operations throughout the United States. He served four years as an infantry assaultman in the Marine Corps and completed tours to Iraq.

Scroggins cites Northwest’s financial assistance programs as one example of a way it is Military Friendly – to go with “the overall passion that many staff and faculty feel toward veterans and making their transition from military life to civilian a pleasant one.”

In its profile of the University, Victory Media wrote Northwest’s “more than 200 rigorous academic programs of study, small class sizes, opportunities for profession-based learning experiences early in your college career and high career placement rates following graduation are just a few of the reasons why Northwest is an excellent choice for military members.” It also cited resources available to students, such as its Student Success Center, Career Services, student employment opportunities and faculty advisors.

Northwest, which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, offers a range of degree and certification programs that benefit military students. The University is VA approved, gives credit for the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST). Northwest also follows American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations when granting credit for military experience or from other regionally accredited institutions as transcripts are evaluated by the Office of Admissions.

Further enhancing its services for veterans, Northwest partners with veterans organizations and regularly hosts representatives to assist with filing for VA benefits, employment and readjustment counseling. Northwest also offers a variety of scholarships for military personnel and veterans, and military students called to active service may return to Northwest without a penalty. For more information about resources available to veterans at Northwest, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/veterans/.

In partnership with the Missouri Army National Guard, Northwest also offers the Guard Officer Leadership Development (GOLD) program to develop qualified Missouri citizens into commissioned officers through classroom instruction, leadership laboratories and a physical conditioning program.

Now in its 17th year, the Military Friendly Schools list provides a comprehensive guide for veterans and their families, using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey completed by the schools. For the first time, student survey data also was taken into consideration for the designation. Final ratings are determined by survey scores as well as an assessment of the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for student retention, graduation, job placement, loan repayment, degree advancement and loan default rates

More than 1,400 schools participated in the 2018-2019 survey with 941 making the list, which is available at www.militaryfriendly.com.

About Northwest

Northwest Missouri State University is a coeducational, primarily residential four-year university with an enrollment of 6,857 students. It offers a broad range of undergraduate and selected graduate programs on its Maryville campus as well as its Northwest-Kansas City location at the Northland Innovation Center and through Northwest Online.

Founded in 1905, Northwest has been ranked by U.S. News and World Report during three of the last five years as the top moderately selective regional university in Missouri, and it has met all measures of the state’s performance-based funding initiative during four of the model’s first five years. Safewise has ranked the city of Maryville as one of the “Safest College Towns in America,” while BestCollegesOnline.org has named the Northwest campus one of the “50 Most Amazing University Botanical Gardens and Arboretums in the U.S.”

The University’s graduation rate is in the 89th percentile of its national peer group. In addition, 97 percent of Northwest bachelor’s degree earners and 99 percent of master’s degree earners secure employment or continue their education within six months of graduation, according to the most recent data. Zippia, a career website, has named Northwest the best college in Missouri for getting a job.

Northwest places a high emphasis on profession-based learning to help graduates get a jumpstart on their careers. Students have opportunities to build their resumes with experiences on campus in nearly every area of study, including the Horace Mann Laboratory School, National Public Radio affiliate KXCV, the R.T. Wright Farm, Mozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area or Knacktive, a student-driven integrated digital marketing communications agency.

Furthermore, its vibrant and diverse learning community offers more than 150 student organizations, and textbooks and a laptop are included in tuition, which is among the lowest in the nation, saving students an estimated $7,300 over four years. Northwest also offers 1,200 student employment positions, allowing students to build professional skills through its internationally benchmarked student employment program. 

For more information about Northwest and its performance, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/aboutus/facts/.