Angelo State Named a Top 'Military Spouse Friendly School'

SAN ANGELO, TX — For the eighth time, Angelo State University has been designated a "Military Spouse Friendly School" by VIQTORY and Military Spouse magazine for creating and sustaining strong programs and policies that address the needs and concerns of military spouses and their families as students.

ASU ranked No. 5 in the Large Public Schools category and is one of 196 U.S. institutions to be named a Military Spouse Friendly School for 2024-25. The list of the top 10 schools in each category is published in a special issue of Military Spouse magazine.

To be considered for the Military Spouse Friendly School designation, institutions must first be named a Military Friendly School. ASUearned that designation for the 15th time for 2024-25, and also received a Gold Award for ranking in the top tier of the 62 institutions in the Large Public University category.

According to the Military Friendly website, the Military Spouse Friendly Schools list has been a reliable resource for military spouses and has set a standard for higher education institutions to provide the best post-secondary education experiences for spouses of service members since 2009.

"Being a military spouse is undoubtedly the toughest job in the military," said Phillip Nichelson, director of ASU affiliated military and veteran services. "We are very proud of this continued recognition, and we want military spouses to know that we will do everything in our power to ensure they and their families have the best possible experience at Angelo State. We are their source for information and many other resources, and we are here and ready to help."

To determine the Military Spouse Friendly Schools list each year, a vast amount of data is collected from the annual Military Friendly survey and various federal agencies. Schools are carefully selected based on their survey ratings and various other factors, including:

• Academic credibility
• Academic support
• Career planning resources
• Flexibility
• Military family support services
• Campus support services
• Federal approvals
• Population percentages and outcomes

Selected schools have constructed their admissions, retention, career counseling and mentoring programs to help alleviate the difficulties faced by military spouses. They also provide flexible learning options and degree continuation programs that are designed to accommodate deployments and relocation.

ASU's programs for military and veteran students and their families are overseen by the Office of Affiliated Military and Veteran Services, which is housed in the Veterans Educational and Transitional Services Center in the Houston Harte University Center.