Howard Payne University was recently awarded the 2025-2026 Military Friendly® School designation and received a silver level designation on the 2025-2026 list.
Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2025-2026 survey with 830 earning special awards for going above the standard.
The 2025-2026 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May and October issues of G.I. Jobs magazine and found at www.militaryfriendly.com.
“Howard Payne University is grateful to and proud of the veterans of the United States military,” said Dr. Donnie Auvenshine, HPU’s vice president for academic affairs. “It is a joy to be a part of supporting veterans as they seek an education. Veterans make a significant contribution to the Howard Payne learning community in El Paso, New Braunfels and Brownwood.”
Methodology, criteria and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. 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, vice president of 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 institutions to evolve and invest in their programs consistently. Schools who achieve awards designation show true commitment in their efforts, exceeding the standard.”
Applications are being accepted for the fall 2025 semester at Howard Payne University. Visit www.hputx.edu/apply to apply. For more information about HPU, including the wide range of available financial aid options, contact HPU’s Office of Admissions at 325-649-8020 or by e-mail at [email protected].