CCU awarded gold rating as Military Friendly® School
Institutions earning the Military Friendly® School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. The list of schools will be published in the May and October issues of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at militaryfriendly.com.
Military Friendly® ratings are based on six categories: academic policies and compliance; admissions and orientation; culture and commitment; financial aid and assistance; graduation and career; and military student support and retention. Organizations with this designation have met a standard that measures commitment, effort, and success in creating sustainable and meaningful opportunities for the military community. The rankings are published by VIQTORY, a veteran-owned communication and marketing firm that ranks schools and businesses according to their commitment to veteran and military personnel. CCU received back-to-back bronze designations in recent years.
“The rise in ranking is recognition by an independent, third-party organization that CCU is successful in our efforts to provide student veterans a smooth transition to the University by providing support, camaraderie, and resources,” said Randy Burk, director of Military and Veteran Services at CCU. “The office continues to develop new and innovative ways to engage with our students by expanding our programming and resources to meet their needs. We appreciate the great support from our campus and community partners, we could not have received this recognition without their help!”
According to Burk, the University currently supports 120 student veterans, 45 current serving students (active duty, National Guard, and Reserves), and 440 military-affiliated students (using benefits transferred from a parent).
CCU has several initiatives in place for veteran, active duty, and military-affiliated students, including:
• Warrior Wednesday – All student, staff, and faculty veterans are invited to meet in the Military and Veteran Services veterans’ lounge in the Lib Jackson Student Union, B-203 every Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m. This is an opportunity to relax, decompress, and network with fellow veterans. Campus and community partners are invited monthly to share the resources they can offer to student veterans.
• SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society – CCU is a chapter member of the SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society. SALUTE is the first national academic honor society established for student veterans, and active military, in two-year and four-year institutions of higher education. CCU will host its first induction ceremony this April.
• Reduced tuition – The CCU board of trustees approved reduced tuition rates during its February 2023 meeting. Undergraduate students serving on active duty, as a member of the National Guard, or as a reservist will now pay $250 per credit hour (part-time students) and $3,750 per semester (full-time students).
“We are excited for the opportunity to increase our population of military students at CCU as a result of the reduced tuition,” said Burk. He also said that the gold designation from Military Friendly® may help prospective students in the decision to attend CCU.
“While students ultimately determine for themselves if a particular school is military friendly, prospective military-affiliated students can count on experienced and knowledgeable CCU staff to assist with answering benefit questions, applying for GI Bill® benefits, and accurate processing of all benefit requests,” said Burk. “Additionally, students can utilize our veterans lounge and other resources and programming as they transition to the CCU family and throughout their time at the University.”
To learn more about CCU’s Military and Veteran Services, click here.