UTA ranked among top Military Friendly Schools
Once again, The University of Texas at Arlington is in the spotlight for setting up military-connected students for success both in and out of the classroom. UTA has received a top 10 Military Friendly® School designation for 2022-23.
“We are honored to continue to be recognized as a top military-friendly institution,” said James Kumm, executive director of UTA’s Office of Military and Veteran Services. “These awards go a long way in reemphasizing the UTA community's commitment to ensuring our military-connected students receive the best possible education and are highly sought-after professionals entering the workforce.”
The Military Friendly® Schools list is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources from more than 8,800 schools nationwide, input from student veterans, and responses to the proprietary, data-driven Military Friendly® Schools survey from participating institutions. Last year, Military Friendly awarded UTA a gold award for its services for military-connected students. UTA also topped Military Times’ 2020 and 2021 lists of the top four-year institutions for veterans and their families.
The Office of Military and Veteran Services focuses on five core areas to ensure it is meeting military-connected students needs on a holistic level:
- Transition to UTA
- Maximizing earned VA Education Benefits
- Involvement/Engagement
- Mental and Physical Health/Well-Being
- Career Readiness
Nearly 5,000 military-connected students attend UTA. About 2,100 of them are veterans, on active duty or members of the National Guard or Reserve. The remaining 2,900 are military children or spouses.
Arrianna Rocha, a junior accounting and finance student and daughter of a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, said the UTA community made her feel right at home. She serves as president of MavVets, a student veteran organization that provides campus networking with community leaders, access to scholarships and community service opportunities.
“Because I grew up around the military, I understand the need for comradery and support,” Rocha said. “That’s what it feels like at UTA. It is family oriented.”
Last year, the University expanded its military services with the launch of Veteran’s Edge, a peer-mentoring group. Mentors recently called nearly 900 new-to-UTA military-connected students to welcome them to campus and offer assistance and support ahead of the spring 2022 semester—a uniquely UTA approach.
“It’s amazing how helpful everyone is at UTA, whether you have just one simple question or you are enrolling for the first time,” Rocha said. “It is nice having the atmosphere of people wanting to help other people.”