PITTSBURGH, Pa. — G.I. Jobs recently announced the release of its 2011 list of Military Friendly Schools, and Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) was included. The list honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools which are doing the most to embrace America’s veterans as students.

Schools on the list range from state universities and private colleges to community colleges and trade schools. The common bond is their shared priority of recruiting students with military experience.

Colleges have long coveted veterans in the classroom. GSW President Kendall A. Blanchard pointed to some of those reasons.

“Military students bring a high degree of maturity, valuable life experiences, diversity, leadership skills and a broad view of the world to the classroom. Other students and faculty benefit from the different perspectives of our service members and veterans.”

The tens of billions of dollars in tuition money now available with the passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill last year has intensified an already-strong desire by colleges to court veterans into their classrooms.

“This list is especially important now because the Post-9/11 GI Bill has given veterans virtually unlimited financial means to go to school,” said Rich McCormack, G.I. Jobs publisher. “Veterans can now enroll in any school, provided they’re academically qualified. So schools are clamoring for them like never before. Veterans need a trusted friend to help them decide where to get educated. The Military Friendly Schools list is that trusted friend.”

Derek Blumke, president of Student Veterans of America and a member of the list’s Academic Advisory Board, agrees.

“The Military Friendly Schools list is the gold standard in letting veterans know which schools will offer them the greatest opportunity, flexibility and overall experience. It’s especially important now with so many schools competing for military students.”

The list was compiled through exhaustive research starting last April during which G.I. Jobs polled more than 7,000 schools nationwide. Methodology, criteria and weighting for the list were developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Board (AAB) consisting of educators from Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University, Colorado State University, Dallas County Community College, Old Dominion University, Cleveland State University, Lincoln Technical Institute and Embry Riddle; as well as Keith Wilson, VA’s director of education services; Michele Spires, American Council on Education’s assistant director of military programs; Janet Swandol, associate director for CLEP and Derek Blumke, president of Student Veterans of America.

A full story and detailed list of Military Friendly Schools will be highlighted in the annual Guide to Military Friendly Schools and on a poster, both of which will be distributed to hundreds of thousands of active and former military personnel in late September. The newly redesigned Web site, found at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com, features interactive tools and search functionality to assist military veterans in choosing schools that best meet their personal educational needs. The site shows 2010 Military Friendly Schools but will switch to the 2011 list in late September.

Criteria for making the Military Friendly Schools list included efforts to recruit and retain military and veteran students, results in recruiting military and veteran students and academic accreditations. The entire list can be viewed at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/2011list.

For additional information on Georgia Southwestern and its status as a Military Friendly School, call 229-931-2027.

G.I. Jobs (www.gijobs.com) is published by Victory Media, a veteran-owned business which also publishes The Guide to Military Friendly Schools, Military Spouse and Vetrepreneur magazines and annually rates the nation’s “Military Friendly Employers,” “Military Spouse Friendly Employers” and “Best Corporations for Veteran-Owned Businesses.”