Coastal Carolina University has earned a spot on the 2021 Military Times’ Best for Vets: Colleges list. More than 300 schools participated in the latest Best for Vets: Colleges survey, which included a variety of questions seeking details about the school’s costs, programs, policies, and services that impact military-connected students. Data from the U.S. Departments of Education, Veterans Affairs, and Defense also were evaluated.

“Recognition as a 2021 Best for Vets college demonstrates Coastal Carolina University’s extraordinary commitment to caring for and providing engaged assistance to all military-affiliated students,” said Randy Burk, director of the Office of Military and Veteran Services (OMVS) at CCU. “We are proud to be identified as a leader in providing outstanding support to more than 600 veteran, active duty, and military dependent students at the University. We take great pride in serving those who served. Our goal is to be a one-stop shop for all military-affiliated students to find answers to all of their questions about returning to college or attending college for the first time.”

According to Burk, the University’s OMVS provides a support network to facilitate the transition of veterans, military service members, and dependents to CCU. The office also seeks to understand and address unique student support needs while attending the University. The office also processes VA enrollment certifications for students attending classes on campus and online.

Burk added: “The majority of OMVS staff are prior service members or a member of a military family. What we do is more than professional; it is personal.”

CCU also offers a U.S. Army ROTC program; the United Bank Center for Military and Veteran Studies, which collects and preserves oral histories of veterans; and the Boeing Military to Civilian Success Program in the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration. The program assists service members, veterans, and their spouses with individualized training for career advancement.

In 2017, Coastal Carolina was designated a Purple Heart University by the Military Order of the Purple Heart; and, in 2016, CCU became the only university in South Carolina to install a permanent Missing Man Chair of Honor at one of its athletic fields. The chair is located in Springs Brooks Stadium, home of the Chanticleers’ baseball program. In November 2019, the University partnered with a local DAV chapter to install a permanent POW/MIA table inside the CINO Grille.

As a special recognition from the OMVS, all veterans and veteran-affiliated students who graduate from CCU receive a commemorative coin as well as a branch-specific stole to wear during commencement.