MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Frebruary 28, 2023): Universal Technical Institute’s (UTI) Mooresville, N.C. campus, NASCAR Technical Institute, is announcing it has once again earned the Military Friendly ® School designation. The award accounts for student retention and graduation and job placement rates, among other criteria.
UTI campuses in Avondale, Ariz., Sacramento, Rancho Cucamonga and Long Beach, Calif., Dallas and Houston, Texas, Lisle, Ill. and Exton, Penn., and Motorcycle & Marine Mechanics Institute in Orlando, Fla. were also among the 665 schools recognized as Military Friendly in 2022-2023.
UTI first began earning the Military Friendly designation in 2011. The award is given to the top colleges, universities, community colleges and trade schools in the country that work to embrace military students and dedicate resources to ensure their success in the classroom and the workforce. UTI offers Military Admissions Representatives, most of whom are U.S. Veterans, to help incoming and current students navigate their VA benefits and apply for scholarships, while many UTI campuses are outfitted with a veteran-friendly space. UTI also offers the Salute to Service Grant, which gives eligible veterans a 10% tuition discount.
"It’s an honor for UTI, MMI and NTI to be recognized for our efforts to provide quality training that prepares veterans for careers in the transportation industry,” said John Decoteau, VP campus and military admissions for UTI. " Veterans represent a significant percentage of our student body, and they are a disciplined, hard-working and motivated group. We have a number of industry partners, such as BMW and Premier Truck Group, who actively work to train and recruit our veteran students.”
BMW and Premier Truck Group, in partnership with UTI, offer on-base training programs, allowing active service members to train for careers as automotive or diesel technicians near the end of their military service contract. One of BMW’s programs is housed at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Institutions earning the Military Friendly ® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey conducted by Viqtory. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2022-2023 survey with 665 earning special awards for going above the standard. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for Student Retention, Graduation, Job Placement, Loan Repayment, Persistence (Degree Advancement or Transfer) and Loan Default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.
“Military Friendly® is committed to transparency and providing consistent data-driven standards in our designation process,” said Kayla Lopez, National Director of Military Partnerships, Military Friendly®. “Our standards provide a benchmark that promotes positive outcomes and support services that better the educational landscape and provide opportunity for the military community. This creates a competitive atmosphere that encourages schools to evolve and invest in their programs consistently. Schools who achieve awards designation show true commitment in their efforts, going over and above that standard.”
NASCAR Technical Institute offers UTI’s core automotive training programs, welding and CNC Machining, and is the only school in the country to offer NASCAR-endorsed training for students pursuing careers in motorsports. For more information on UTI’s Military and Veterans Services, visit https://www.uti.edu/support-services/military-veteran-services.
About Universal Technical Institute, Inc.
Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) (the “Company”) was founded in 1965 and is a leading workforce solutions provider of transportation, skilled trades and healthcare education programs, whose mission is to serve students, partners, and communities by providing quality education and support services for in-demand careers across a number of highly-skilled fields. The Company is comprised of two divisions: Universal Technical Institute (“UTI”) and Concorde Career Colleges (“Concorde”). UTI operates 16 campuses located in 9 states and offers a wide range of transportation and skilled trades technical training programs under brands such as UTI, MIAT College of Technology, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, Marine Mechanics Institute and NASCAR Technical Institute. Concorde operates across 17 campuses in 8 states, offering programs in the Allied Health, Dental, Nursing, Patient Care and Diagnostic fields. For more information, visit www.uti.edu or www.concorde.edu, or visit us on LinkedIn at @UniversalTechnicalInstitute and @Concorde Career Colleges or on Twitter @news_UTI or @ConcordeCareer.
About Military Friendly ® Schools
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. The survey questions, methodology, criteria and weighting were developed with the assistance of an independent research firm and an advisory council of educators and employers. The survey is administered for free and is open to all postsecondary schools that wish to participate. Criteria for consideration can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.
