Hostos Community College has joined 16 other campuses from The City University of New York (CUNY) campuses to be recognized with a “2016 Military Friendly® School” title. CUNY is also the first public university system acknowledged with this distinction this year.

The Military Friendly® Schools designation is awarded to the top colleges, universities, community colleges and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace and ensure the success of military students while in the classroom and after graduation.

“I’m very pleased that the number of ‘Military Friendly’ campuses at CUNY has expanded from seven last year to seventeen this year,” said Chancellor James B. Milliken. “CUNY colleges are providing these deserving men and women with the education and skills they need to pursue careers. We are proud to help our veterans realize their goals. I want to extend congratulations and appreciation to the CUNY college presidents, faculty and staff who have made serving the educational needs of veterans a priority.”

The distinction was earned after the campuses completed a survey of over 100 questions covering 10 categories, including military support on campus, graduation and employment outcomes, and military spouse policies. Survey responses were scored against benchmarks across these key indicators of success. Military Friendly® survey data was independently tested by EY (Ernst & Young) based upon the weightings and methodology established by Victory Media with guidance from an independent Advisory Council of higher education and recruiting professionals.

Thanks to support from funders like The Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the College launched the Hostos Education & Resource Opportunities For Veterans (H.E.R.O.4.V.) Program in 2014. Based out of the College’s Division for Continuing Education & Workforce Development (CEWD), it supports veterans by providing meaningful and quality information on educational, employment and training programs, as well as helping to navigate vital resources, such as housing and other social services. 

Hostos also has an active Office of Student Programming for Veterans and Reservists that offers an array of specialized educational support and development-related services for matriculated student veterans and reservists.

“It’s my honor to be a part of a program that sees the importance of connecting veterans to the right support services,” said Hostos Veterans Services Coordinator Dewanda Sabbs. “I am proud that through determination and dedication to our men and women in uniform, we have arrived at a place that shows who we are as an institution and what we can do as a community, when we work together.”

The 17 CUNY Military Friendly® campuses are: Hostos Community College, Baruch College, Borough of Manhattan Community College, Bronx Community College, Brooklyn College, College of Staten Island, Hunter College, Kingsborough Community College, LaGuardia Community College, Lehman College, Medgar Evers College, New York City College of Technology, Queens College, Queensborough Community College, School of Professional Studies, The City College of New York, and York College.

The announcement was made by Victory Media, the leader in connecting the military and civilian worlds, and publisher of G.I. Jobs®, STEM JobsSM and Military Spouse.

“Military Friendly® Schools have exceptionally strong programs for transitioning service members and spouses,” added Daniel Nichols, Chief Product Officer of Victory Media and 17-year Navy Reserve veteran. “We’re thrilled to have a large university system, representing over 3,000 student veterans, demonstrate their commitment to military students by taking the survey and earning the Military Friendly® School award.”

For more information about CUNY’s military programs, visit http://www2.cuny.edu/admissions/undergraduate/explore/veterans/

For more about the Military Friendly® Schools survey and ratings program, as well as the list of participating CUNY colleges, visit https://militaryfriendly.com.

About Hostos Community College
Eugenio María de Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change that has been transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities since 1968. It serves as a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, as well as a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs. The College’s unique Student Success Coaching Unit provides students with individualized guidance and exemplifies its emphasis on student support services.

Named one of the top 10 finalists for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, Hostos offers 27 associate degree programs and two certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to The City University of New York’s (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. Hostos is part of CUNY, the nation’s leading urban public university, which serves more than 500,000 students at 24 colleges.

About The City University of New York
The City University of New York is the nation’s leading urban public university. Founded in New York City in 1847, the University comprises 24 institutions: 11 senior colleges, seven community colleges, the William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, the CUNY Graduate School and University Center, the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, the CUNY School of Law, the CUNY School of Professional Studies and the CUNY School of Public Health. The University serves more than 275,000 degree-credit students and 218,083 adult, continuing and professional education students. College Now, the University’s academic enrichment program, is offered at CUNY campuses and more than 300 high schools throughout the five boroughs of New York City. The University offers online baccalaureate and master’s degrees through the School of Professional Studies and an individualized baccalaureate through the CUNY Baccalaureate Degree. Nearly 3 million unique visitors and 10 million page views are served each month via http://www.cuny.edu, the University’s website.

About Military Friendly® Schools
The Military Friendly® Schools designation process includes extensive research and a data-driven survey of thousands of schools nationwide approved for Post-9/11 GI Bill funding. The school survey, methodology, criteria and weightings are developed with the assistance of an independent Advisory Board comprised of educators and HR, diversity and recruitment professionals from schools across the country. The survey is administered for free and open to all post-secondary schools who wish to participate. Criteria for consideration can be found on our website, https://www.militaryfriendly.com.

About Victory Media
Based in Pittsburgh, Victory Media is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business that connects classrooms to careers for the nation’s next generation of professionals. Our data-driven ratings are published in G.I. Jobs®, Military Spouse, Vetrepreneur® and STEM JobsSM media, and featured in national media including USA Today, Wall Street Journal, FORTUNE, Bloomberg, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, CNBC, Fox News and others. Learn more about our Media, Training and Ratings solutions at victorymedia.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.