Military Friendly® Schools strive toward and succeed in the areas that matter most in helping veterans make the transition from the military to school and, ultimately, satisfying careers in the civilian world. 

The Military Friendly® Schools list is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources from more than 8,800 schools nationwide, input from student veterans, and responses to the proprietary, data-driven Military Friendly® Schools survey from participating institutions. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2024–2025 survey with 537 earning special awards for going above the standard.

Learn more about how Augsburg proudly supports military veterans and those who actively serve in the U.S. Armed Forces.

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The full Guide to Colleges & Universities will be published in a forthcoming issue of Military Advanced Education.

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Now they will be able to get an education for free under the legislation that went into affect on August 1.

Last week, the College received word from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that the maximum charge per credit hour had been raised for Minnesota veterans from $326.92 to $750.

That means that a veteran interested in pursuing a Weekend College undergraduate degree or any of Augsburg’s graduate programs will be able to attend classes for free. Full benefit veterans interested in the traditional Day College program will be able to attend classes for about $500 per semester in 2009 (contact the for today’s numbers).

Under the previous G.I. Bill, former soldiers could attend public institutions for little or no cost, but their benefits didn’t go as far at private institutions.

For a veteran to be eligible, he or she must have served 36 months of active duty after 9/11, or have been discharged because of disability after serving at least 30 days. Veterans with full benefits can also receive money for living expenses, books, supplies and fees. In some cases, spouses and/or dependents may be eligible as well. Veterans who served less than 36 months of active duty after 9/11 can be eligible for reduced benefits.

Beginning this fall, tuition for a WEC class will be $1,675. That tuition will be covered by the newly increased G.I. Bill benefits. While many graduate tuition rates are higher, they are still covered by the VA.

Day students will be charged $13,510 per semester. A full-benefit veteran will receive $12,000 from the VA and an additional $325 for fees. That student will also receive a $1,000- $500 from Augsburg and a $500 match from the VA through the Yellow Ribbon Program. That will reduce the out-of-pocket costs to only $510 per semester.

Augsburg currently has about 90 students using some sort of military discount or benefit program.

It is expected that most veterans who attend Augsburg will be part of the Augsburg For Adults program. Most veterans work and many have families, two things that may make Weekend College a more convenient option.

The upgraded Post 9/11 G.I. Bill is expected to increase the number of veterans enrolling in college across the country. As many as 2 million veterans nationally are expected to be immediately eligible for the expanded benefits. More than 725 private, non-profit institutions like Augsburg signed up for the Yellow Ribbon Program nationally.

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“Providing an opportunity for this population to build community is one of the reasons for this event,” says Michael Bilden, director of adult admissions and part of the military benefits committee. The group formed last spring to discuss ways Augsburg can better support the needs of veterans and military service members.

Augsburg is a certified Institute of Higher Learning for federal education benefits and currently enrolls more than 85 students who are active military members or veterans. In addition, since June 2006, Augsburg has offered a 10% military tuition discount for all Augsburg for Adults programs. This discount can be used by current military members, spouses of currently serving military members, and veterans of any branch of the United States Armed Forces.

“The Twin Cities region has a relatively large number of military members, and to show our support of veterans, military members, and their families, the discount indicates that we are indeed a military-friendly institution,” says Bilden.

The reception will be held from 4 – 6 p.m. in the Marshall Room, Christensen Center. Food and refreshments will be provided. A short program will be presented at 4:30 p.m., including remarks by Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow and a presentation by Duane Bauer, the Central Metro Region Campus Rep from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs.

To find out more about how Augsburg supports its current and former service members and their families, go to .

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Nearly 80 military veterans or currently-serving military members are enrolled at Augsburg — one of the highest number at any private college in Minnesota. In order to help faculty and staff understand the relatively high risks for difficulty in college, especially among veterans returning from high-stress deployment, Morris — along with a mental health specialist and a returning veteran — will talk about the challenges and issues faced by these students. Augsburg registrar Wayne Kallestad says, “We want as many of our faculty and staff to be aware of these issues so we can possibly cut the percentage rate of academic failure experienced nationally by returning troops.” He adds that there is a strong chance that faculty will have returning veterans in their classes based on enrollment numbers.

The response to “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon” has been so positive in Minnesota that the program has been identified by the U.S. Congress as a national model for implementation in all 50 states under the 2008 National Defense Act.

Kallestad says that Augsburg’s high enrollment of students in the military is partly due to the tuition discount offered military students in the Augsburg for Adults undergraduate and graduate programs. Michael Bilden, director of Augsburg for Adults admissions, coordinated the implementation of this benefit in 2006. In November, Augsburg’s Military Support group sponsored a reception to recognize military students and allow them meet each other. A similar reception will take place on Feb. 12 and again on April 17. The members of Augsburg’s Military Support Group are Ann Garvey, Mike Bilden, Karena Jones, Sadie Curtis, and Wayne Kallestad.

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“Providing an opportunity for this population to build community is one of the reasons for this event,” says Michael Bilden, director of adult admissions and part of the military benefits committee. The group formed last spring to discuss ways Augsburg can better support the needs of veterans and military service members.

Augsburg is a certified Institute of Higher Learning for federal education benefits and currently enrolls over 60 students who are active military members or veterans. In addition, since June 2006, Augsburg has offered a 10% military tuition discount for all Augsburg for Adults programs. This discount can be used by current military members, spouses of currently serving military members, and veterans of any branch of the United States Armed Forces.

“The Twin Cities region has a relatively large number of military members, and to show our support of veterans, military members, and their families, the discount indicates that we are indeed a military-friendly institution,” says Bilden.

The Nov. 8 reception will be held from 4 – 6 p.m. in the Oren Gateway Center in Room 100 (Adeline M. Johnson room). Food and refreshments will be provided. A short program will be presented at 5 p.m., including a presentation by Duane Bauer, the Central Metro Region Campus Rep from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs.

To find out more about how Augsburg supports its current and former service members and their families, please visit .

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