Bergen Community College conducted its annual Veterans Day recognition ceremony Nov. 11.
PARAMUS, N.J. – Bergen Community College has earned recognition as a “military friendly school” by Victory Media, which annually compiles data on services provided for veterans by colleges and employers. Nine New Jersey community colleges, including Bergen, received the designation.
“Beginning with the original GI Bill in 1944, institutions of higher education have embraced the opportunity to serve military veterans as they transition to civilian life, continue their education and seek employment,” Bergen President B. Kaye Walter, Ph.D., said. “At Bergen, we take great pride in this responsibility and remain committed to developing new strategies for serving the unique needs of student veterans.”
Bergen enrolls approximately 300 students under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. In 2013, the College opened its Veterans and Military Affairs Center at the main campus. The center offers veteran-specific counselors, advisers and information on benefits, events and resources.
According to Victory Media, which has published the “military friendly schools” list for seven years, nearly 400,000 active duty, National Guard and Armed Forces Reserve service members will enter college or the workforce this year. Based in Pittsburgh, the group evaluates colleges based on criteria such as graduation and employment outcomes. Results are independently tested and verified by auditor EY (Ernst & Young).
Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls 16,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.