SU Named a 'Military Friendly' Campus

SALISBURY, MD---Salisbury University has been named a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs magazine.  Honored among the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide, SU will be included in 2010 Guide to Military Friendly Schools, published in September.  The campus will also be featured in the October editions of G.I. Jobs and Military Spouse magazines.

The guide is designed to help students who are enlisted or who are veterans determine what schools will welcome them and provide the greatest value.  There are currently some eight million troops and veterans eligible for G.I. Bill benefits.

“Salisbury appeals to members of the military because this region is very supportive of the military and it has a small town feel where everyone knows each other.  Service members are recognized and appreciated,” said 2nd Lt. Richard Littlefield (’09) of the U.S. Marine Corps.  After earning his B.A. in conflict analysis and dispute resolution at SU, he reports for active duty in September at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, VA.

Welcoming service members, SU recently announced its participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, an optional component of the new Post-9/11 G.I. Bill for veterans. Through this supplemental program, universities pay up to half the difference in tuition beyond the amount covered by the federal government. The new bill adds a $1,000 stipend for books and provides more than $1,300 a month for housing for up to 36 months.

In fall 2008, SU also brought its Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program back to campus, following a student–driven demand for its re-establishment.  Under the direction of SU alumnus David Engelman (’05), a 1st lieutenant in the U.S. Army, the program is thriving.

Junior Joe Hoover, who served four years in the U.S. Army and was deployed twice to Iraq, knows firsthand how SU is a military friendly campus. Working as a veterans affairs liaison in the Registrar’s Office, he helps other students take advantage of G.I. Bill benefits.  Instrumental in establishing a Veterans Club at SU, he also has worked with Counseling Services on the transition assistance that SU provides for veterans.

“With all these new programs in place, SU is distinguishing itself from other schools and hopefully attracting more veterans and military personnel,” he said.

For more information on G.I. Bill benefits, visit www.gibill.va.gov.  For details about veteran affairs at SU, call 410-543-6189 or visit the SU Web site at www.salisbury.edu.