LATI Named a 2014 Military Friendly School ®

WATERTOWN, SD – For the fourth consecutive year, Lake Area Technical College in Watertown has been named to the coveted 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.

“Inclusion on the 2014 list of Military Friendly Schools ® shows Lake Area Technical College’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.”

The Military Friendly Schools ® media and website, found at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com, features the list, interactive tools and search functionality to help military students 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.  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.

According to Lake Area Technical College Vice President and Veterans Representative, Mike Cartney, “It is an honor to be selected to be on the Military Friendly Schools list. It comes with a lot of pride in knowing that what we are doing here at Lake Area Technical College is benefiting our veterans.  They are taking another huge step in their lives and making career decisions that may have been delayed as they served our country.  It is a big transition for them and we are here to make it easier.”

In addition to its current array of student veteran services, Lake Area Technical College has implemented new marketing and recruitment strategies within the last year. These include enhancing the veterans’ services website information, creating a LATI Boots to Books Facebook page, and adding a new veteran support coordinator. Additional recruiting strategies and marketing campaigns are planned for the coming year.

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 story and detailed list of 2014 Military Friendly Schools® will be highlighted in the annual Guide to Military Friendly Schools ®, distributed in print and digital format to hundreds of thousands of active and former military personnel in early October.