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The annual companion list to Military Friendly® School, in which Saint Leo was named No. 3 in the nation in its category and a Top10 Gold-level Military Friendly® School, recognizes higher education institutions that actively recruit spouses of active-duty servicemembers. The list recognizes schools that promote student retention and career development policies and 
programs that acknowledge and support the unique challenges of military life. This year’s list features 100 institutions across 10 categories, demonstrating the growing success among post-secondary schools for tapping into this talented group of men and women.
“Saint Leo University is humbled to be recognized for not only educating those who have served and continue to serve our country, but also for providing educational opportunities for their spouses and other family members,” said Pamela Martis, retired U.S. Army colonel and director of Saint Leo’s Office of Military Affairs and Services. “Being designated as a Military Spouse Friendly® School is an honor for us because we value the sacrifice of our military families and want to support those spouses who are juggling the demands of family, military life, work, PCS [Permanent Changes of Station] moves, and going back to school—all at the same time.”
Since it may be difficult for a military spouse or other family member to continue higher education or to complete a degree program because of moving regularly, Saint Leo offers “the flexibility that those military spouses need to be able to take a course at one of our teaching locations as well as at our Center for Online Learning,” Martis added. “This is so critical to ensure there is not a break or further disruption in achieving their educational goals.”
“Military spouses are expert problem-solvers. They thrive under pressure, and are highly educated and mobile,” said Daniel Nichols, chief product officer at Victory Media’s Military Friendly® division. “Colleges and companies recognize these attributes and want to bring them on board. And, companies that employ both veterans and their spouses see even stronger retention and employee loyalty. Who better to train military spouses for successful careers than a Military Spouse Friendly School®?”
The latest Military Friendly® Schools survey included questions that not only evaluated whether a school’s admissions, retention, career counseling, and mentoring programs are better for veterans, but also whether they address concerns of military spouses and families. Colleges earning the Military Spouse Friendly School® designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from Victory Media’s proprietary survey.
Saint Leo University is featured along with the entire list of 2017 Military Spouse Friendly Schools® in the April issue of Military Spouse Magazine and on militaryfriendly.com.
About Saint Leo University
Saint Leo University (www.saintleo.edu) is a modern Catholic teaching university that is firmly grounded in the liberal arts tradition and the timeless Benedictine wisdom that seeks balanced growth of mind, body, and spirit. The Saint Leo University of today is a private, nonprofit institution that creates hospitable learning communities wherever our students want to be or need to be, whether that is a campus classroom, a web-based environment, an employer’s worksite, a military base, or an office park. We welcome people of all faiths and of no religious affiliation, and encourage learners of all generations. We are committed to providing educational opportunities to our nation’s armed forces, our veterans, and their families. We are regionally accredited to award degrees ranging from the associate to the doctorate, and we guide all our students to develop their capacities for critical thinking, moral reflection, and lifelong learning and leadership.
We remain the faithful stewards of the beautiful lakeside University Campus in the Tampa Bay region of Florida, where our founding monks created the first Catholic college in the state in 1889. Serving nearly 15,000 students, we have expanded to downtown Tampa, to other sites in Florida and beyond, and maintain a physical presence in seven states. We provide highly respected online learning programs to students nationally and internationally. More than 82,000 alumni reside in all 50 states, in Washington, DC, in three U.S. territories, and in 76 countries.