The University of Texas at Arlington is one of the best business schools in the United States for military veterans, according to rankings released Monday by Military Times.
UT Arlington has about 3,000 veterans or veterans’ family members attending classes here. Of those, about 2,200 are veterans. UT Arlington placed No. 33 on the list of 64 institutions.
Military Times focused on culture and curriculum that caters to military veterans when conducting and scoring the second annual Best for Vets: Business Schools survey, a highly respected, nearly 80-question analysis of a school’s complete offerings for veterans.
Business Dean Rachel Croson said the entire College of Business staff deserves credit.
“We have a great tool in the Goolsby Leadership Academy. Many of our veterans have skills that make them a great fit with our Leadership initiatives,” said Croson of the 10-year-old program within the College of Business. “And it’s not just the business school. We have an entire university that backs the veterans across many, many platforms.”
In November, Military Times named UT Arlington as one of the best colleges for military veterans. In that list, UT Arlington placed No. 70 of the 120 institutions ranked.
About 140 colleges and universities participated in the detailed, nearly 80-question survey, which delved into school culture, student support, academic outcomes and quality, academic policies, and cost and financial aid.
Some of that helps in the College of Business comes from Rebecca Neilson, a retired colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve with 30 years of commissioned service. Neilson is the director of Graduate Business Services in the College of Business.
“The College of Business has great programs,” said Neilson, who teaches leadership and communications in the Goolsby Academy. “Those programs help veterans get to be where they need to be educationally. I point them in the right direction for support.”
Lisa Thompson, senior director of UT Arlington’s TRIO Pre-College Programs , said veterans need specially directed aid and help, which is exactly what the University has provided.
In February, UT Arlington received a $122,000 grant from JPMorgan Chase to fund educational opportunities for military veterans. The support will enable the University to provide enhanced services to student veterans at the onset of their first academic year.
Two years ago, UT Arlington received a $1.25 million U.S. Department of Education grant to fund a new Veterans Upward Bound program for five years.
“It’s imperative we help our veterans, many of whom have served multiple tours in combat areas,” Thompson said. “They have a different set of needs than those students coming straight out of high school.”
UT Arlington’s notable efforts to assist veterans with specific programs, include:
- The new Student Veterans Assistance Center (VAC), which offers one location for advising, tutoring and counseling, assistance with completing college, financial aid and GI Bill applications.
- A collaborative effort between UT Arlington and the Department of Veterans Affairs that has placed a full-time, experienced vocational counselor in the VAC.
- A recent College of Nursing federal grant in support of increased enrollment and graduation rates for veterans.
- A new School of Social Work program to better serve veterans and active members in the military with mental health needs.
- Grants to enhance sports programming for disabled veterans through the UT Arlington wheelchair basketball team, the Movin’ Mavs.
UT Arlington boasts one of the largest populations of student veterans and active duty military personnel in Texas, Veterans Administration surveys show. The University enrolled about 500 veterans during the 2006-07 academic year. That number more than tripled to 1,564 student veterans in fall 2013.
The Military Times organization comprises Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Corps Times. The full rankings are available in print, and online at www.militarytimes.com .
The University of Texas at Arlington is a comprehensive research institution of more than 33,300 students and more than 2,200 faculty members in the heart of North Texas. It is the second largest institution in The University of Texas System. Visit www.uta.edu to learn more. Visit www.uta.edu/uta/student-life/veteran-services to learn more about Veteran Services at UT Arlington.
