DURANT – Victory Media, a media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, has named Southeastern Oklahoma State University to the Military Friendly Schools ® list, as published in G.I. Jobs magazine.

The 2013 Military Friendly Schools ® list honors the top 15 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.

“Inclusion on the 2013 list of Military Friendly Schools ® shows Southeastern’s commitment to providing a supportive environment for military students,” said Sean Collins, Director for G.I. Jobs and Vice President at Victory Media.

The 1,739 colleges, universities and trade schools on this year’s list exhibit leading practices in the recruitment and retention of students with military experience.

“We are proud to have received this designation as a military friendly school,’’ said Southeastern president Larry Minks. “We consider it an honor but also as a reminder that we must continue to provide assistance to those who have served our country as they transition back into school and the workforce.’’

Over the course of a calendar year, Southeastern assists more than 200 veterans, according to Kristie Luke, Associate Dean of Academic Records/Registrar.

Southeastern provides assistance to veterans and their dependents in a variety of areas, from applying for admission and financial aid to understanding their VA education benefits. Additional resources such as career counseling and tutoring are also available .

Now in its fourth year, the 2013 list of Military Friendly Schools ® was compiled through extensive research and a data-driven survey of more than 12,000 VA-approved schools nationwide. The survey tabulation process, methodology and weightings that comprise the 2013 list were independently verified by Ernst and Young LLP.

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.

Categories analyzed were military support on campus, academic credibility, percentage of military students, academic credit for military service, flexibility for military students, veteran graduation rates, government approvals, student tuition assistance, student survey and employment rates, and military spouse policies.

For Southeastern, this is the second time this year the University has been recognized for excellence by a national publication. This summer, according to rankings in Diverse Issues In Higher Education, Southeastern is among the top schools in the nation for producing Native American graduates.