TU recognized as a top school for veterans

By Matt Wright ’23 on April 18, 2023

Towson University earned the Military Friendly Schools Awards’ gold designation for 2023–24, besting last year’s silver designation. 

The university is one of three Maryland schools and 25 large, public schools in the nation with this status.

The 2023–24 Military Friendly Schools list will be published in the May edition of G.I. Jobs magazine.

More than 1,800 schools participated in the survey, with 250 selected for gold. The survey assessed public data and graduation and career outcomes, admissions and orientation, culture and commitment, military student support and retention, academic policies and compliance, and financial aid and loan repayment. 
 
“It feels rewarding to receive that recognition,” says Dario DiBattista, director of the Military & Veterans Center. “That is shared by our team and all our collaborators and partners across the university. Ultimately, it means nothing if we don’t constantly improve and keep doing the work for the actual students.”
 
The Military Friendly ratings program started in 2003 with a goal of encouraging civilian organizations and schools to invest in veterans as employees, entrepreneurs and students.
Veterans Benefits Specialist Toby Frevert says earning this distinction wouldn’t be possible without the help of those same veterans as well as non-veteran staff. 

“They are the real MVPs of our office,” he says. “I'm endlessly grateful for their dedication to the Military & Veterans Center and our wonderful community. What we do would not be possible if not for our student staff.”

The gold designation isn’t the only accolade the university has received for military friendliness, as U.S. News & World Report ranked TU 7th among the best public universities for veterans in the North region for 2022–23.

The work the MVC does not only includes providing guidance on scholarships and financial aid but helping veterans adjust to campus life by fostering a welcoming community for more than 200 student-veterans. The MVC staff members consider themselves a first-stop shop for any issues a former service member may face on campus.