Savannah Technical College was ranked first in the U.S. by Military Times with the new rankings Best for Vets: Career & Technical Colleges 2017 rankings. The organization made up of Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Corps Times focused on culture and curriculum that caters to military veterans when conducting and scoring the annual survey of schools that self-identify as career and technical colleges.

“I am so proud that Savannah Technical College has been recognized as the #1 Best for Vets technical college in the nation by Military Times,” said STC President Dr. Kathy Love. “Our active duty military students, their family members, and our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country. I believe it is our responsibility to provide anything and everything they need as they pursue their higher education goals.”

One in four STC students is a veteran, active duty service member or a military dependent/spouse. The College waives all general mandatory fees for active duty service members using military tuition assistance. In 2015, Savannah Tech opened a Veteran’s Service Center at the Savannah campus. Savannah Tech has the largest enrollment of military-affiliated students in the Technical College System of Georgia.

Just this week, Savannah Technical College hosted a Veterans Career Fair in partnership with the Georgia Department of Labor. This annual career fair offers local companies the opportunity to meet with veterans and their families about job openings.

Other services Savannah Tech offers for veterans include workshops and grants. In 2016, the Freedom Fund was established to provide scholarship assistance for soldiers, veteran and spouses thanks to a generous donation. The needs-based fun supports those who serve by buying books and tools for active duty service members, paying registration fees each semester for military spouses (MyCAA) students and covering unpaid tuition and registration fees up to 100% for those with VA benefits not covering 100% education benefits.

Another scholarship that supports Savannah Tech’s military spouses is funded by The Landings Military Family Relief Fund. This scholarship fund provides tuition assistance to military spouses eligible for the MYCAA program, who have exhausted their benefits. The Landings Military Spouse Academic Assistance Fund awards a maximum of $2,000 annually for up to two years, for a total of $4,000 per student.

Savannah Tech’s Military Outreach Coordinator Jeff Ashmen coordinates a variety of initiatives enabling current and former military personnel, as well as their family members, to enroll in the college, graduate, and engage in careers with our local industries and businesses. Ashmen’s extensive background in the U.S. Army includes more than three decades of experience in key military positions, culminating as the 3rd Infantry Division Command Sergeant Major at Ft. Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.

“We continue to look for ways to support military-affiliated students,” said STC Military Outreach Coordinator Jeff Ashmen. Savannah Technical College offers programs that help area veterans get the technical skills and certifications employers are looking for quickly. “Savannah Technical College has a 99 percent job placement rate overall and 89% placement in field, so we really have our fingers on the pulse of what employers are looking for in a trained workforce,” Ashmen said.

Career and technical colleges respond to the same Best for Vets: Colleges survey as two-year institutions on up, a highly respected analysis of a college’s complete offerings for veterans. As with all of the Best for Vets rankings, Best for Vets: Career & Technical Colleges is an editorially independent news project that evaluates the many factors that make an institution a good fit for military veterans.