Hocking College was recently awarded the Military Friendly Schools® title from Victory Media Inc. for the fourth year in a row. The 2014 Military Friendly Schools® list honors the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans and spouses as students to ensure their success on campus.

Schools were considered that offer scholarships and discounts, veterans’ clubs, full-time staff, military credit and other services to those who served. 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. Methodology, criteria and weighting for the list were developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Board consisting of educators from schools across the country. Each year, schools taking the survey are held to a higher standard than the previous year.

Specifically, Hocking College prioritizes the recruitment of students with military experience and is one of the top schools for providing the most academic credit for military and civilian credit. Scholarships and tuition discounts are also available to military students and veterans while all military students and dependents are offered in-state tuition without residency requirements. Hocking also allows military students called to active duty to return to school without any penalty.

“Inclusion on the 2014 list of Military Friendly Schools® shows Hocking College’s commitment to providing a supportive environment for military students,” Sean Collins, Vice President at Victory Media and a nine-year Navy veteran said “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.