University of Mary Earns ‘Military Friendly’ Designation for 2020-2021

BISMARCK, ND — Actively serving military, veterans and their spouses know that when furthering their education at the University of Mary, they will be taken care of from the start of the inquiry process all the way through graduation and beyond, if needed. That’s the Mary difference, and that’s why the university once again is among the nation’s top Military Friendly® schools for 2020-2021.

According to the Military Friendly® Schools website, the list is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources for more than 8,800 schools nationwide and responses to the proprietary, data-driven Military Friendly® Schools survey from participating institutions. The survey questions, methodology, criteria and weighting were developed with the assistance of an independent research firm and an council of educators and employers.

The University of Mary has consistently earned this designation on the Military Friendly® Schools’ select list since its inception 10 years ago. Quality, cost and customer service continue to be the pillars of the University of Mary’s ongoing success and satisfaction with active serving military, veterans and their families.

“We have a whole department with over 50 years of military experience — including a military spouse — dedicated solely to our military students,” said retired Brigadier General Dave Anderson, coordinator of Military Student Services at the University of Mary, and a member of the new, five-member North Dakota Ethics Commission (NDEC). “We understand all the needs, military guidelines and the dos and don’ts in order to make sure all our military students get everything they are entitled to by walking them through the process, step by step. We want to make the enrollment process as easy and seamless as possible so the student and their military families can enjoy the educational process without worry or anxiety.”

Several veterans with many years of military experience actually teach graduate courses at the University of Mary. They served their country, then earned their doctorate degrees, and are now faculty. These instructors’ first-hand knowledge of the requirements and day-to-day demands of the actively serving military is vital to their success as students.

“Our graduate programs are basically free for those actively serving in all branches of the military, including the National Guard and Reserve,” added Anderson. “The University of Mary scholarships the difference the student receives from the military assistance, so their education at UMary is tuition free. Military students have the option of taking their courses on-site, online, or a combination of the two in a blended format. Military students who choose to do on-site or the blended method receive more funding from the Veterans Administration (VA) benefit. Our undergraduate military students also receive a scholarship that pays up to $2,400 per semester.”

According to the Military Friendly® Schools website, the 2020-2021 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine. The list can also be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.

Active serving military, veterans and their families interested in enrolling at University of Mary can email Anderson at dbanderson@umary.edu, call (701) 355-8339, or visit www.umary.edu/military.