Military Advanced Education selected Auburn University as a top school for veterans in the 2015 Military Advanced Education Guide to Colleges & Universities.
The Military Advanced Education Guide to Colleges and Universities evaluated schools based on their military culture, financial aid, flexibility, on-campus support and online support services.
Auburn University provides a resource center for veterans that assists veteran students in all the areas the MAE guide evaluates.
The resource center has been established for three years. Within that time, Auburn is among the top 15 percent of 2,800 schools that provide veterans resource centers.
Michael Broome, veteran and senior in finance, said he helps students.
"As a work study, I help prepare students' files for certification and assist students in using the computer resources we have," Broome said.
According to Johnny Green, director of the Auburn University Veterans Resource Center, Auburn sets itself apart in its services to veterans with its focus on offering counseling, student assistance and academic support to veterans in transition.
"Auburn has a sense of patriotism and core values of community that appeal to veterans," Green said.
According to Green, Auburn has more than 800 veteran students currently enrolled.
"We're very excited to have been ranked so highly," Green said. "I was recently at Ft. Benning, and the director of educational services on base remarked that Auburn was 'the real deal,' so I think we'll see a positive impact on recruitment as we continue as an institution to provide more services to the veterans."
Two thirds of Auburn's students are financially covered by the post-9/11 GI Bill, and the other one third are covered by the Montgomery GI Bill, according to Green.
Belinda Lang, veteran and resource center work study, said going back to college can be difficult for some veterans.
"A lot of times veterans who make the transition back to an institution feel unwelcome," Lang said. "Some institutions are less military friendly. Auburn, however, holds the reputation as a military-friendly university."
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
