For the sixth consecutive year, Central Texas College (CTC) was named to the list of military-friendly schools compiled recently by Military Advanced Education magazine. In its 2013 Guide to Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities, Military Advanced Education compared more than 300 institutions including private, public, for-profit, not-for-profit, four-year and two-year colleges.

The Guide presents results of a questionnaire regarding the military-friendly policies at each school in four areas:

Support services – includes on-campus veterans center, faculty trained in veteran reintegration issues, full-time counselors trained in veteran-specific mental health concerns

Military culture – includes MyCAA-approved, membership in Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC)

Financial assistance – includes in-state tuition for active duty military, veteran work-study program, military-specific scholarships, tuition discounts/scholarships for dependents

Flexibility – includes online learning options, extent of transfer credits accepted by degree level presence on military installations

CTC was cited for offering in-state tuition to active duty, Reserve and National Guard personnel, no-cost tutoring, offering tuition lower than the Yellow Ribbon program minimum and credit- hour cost within the DoD-approved Tuition assistance limit. Other contributing factors noted in its ranking were CTC being a member of SOC, offering a website/webpage dedicated to military/veteran students, being a MyCAA-approved institution and signatory institution to the DoD memorandum of understanding regarding its voluntary education program.

CTC has served active and retired military and family members for more than 45 years and offers associate degrees and certificates designed for the military student via face-to-face and distance learning options and provides maximum credit for military education and training. With campuses across the continental United States, the Pacific Far East to include mainland Japan, Okinawa and Korea, locations across Europe as well as deployed locations in Southwest Asia, CTC also offers classes on ships at sea and online to civilians and the military through the Army´s eArmyU program, MarineNet and the Navy´s PACE program. In addition to on-site operations in deployed locations, CTC has developed various other educational delivery methods such as classes on CD-ROM, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and ipods for military personnel who are unable to attend classes and do not have regular Internet access.

KMI Media Group, founded in 1996, offers eight highly-targeted publications serving specific verticals in the military. Military Advanced Education is the only magazine produced specifically for service members seeking to take advantage of the military education benefit. It covers issues and trends in distance learning and education as they specifically relate to military life, including innovative programs, military educational policy, financial aid and coursework offering special opportunities for military personnel. Additional information is available at http://www.kmimediagroup.com.