Kent State’s main campus as well as it’s Salem, Stark and Trumbull campuses were awarded for their commitment to their military and veteran students by receiving a Military Friendly School designation.

According to Military Friendly, this designation measures how much dedication schools put into programs and services that will benefit their military community. 

This is the 10th consecutive year Kent State’s main campus has received the designation.

The Kent campus has continued to keep its military and veteran programs strong, which is why it was awarded the title, said Joshua Rider, the director of Kent State’s Center for Adult and Veteran Services.

“It’s an indication that we’re doing the right things,” Rider said.

VIQTORY, a veteran-owned business that produces employment, education and entrepreneurship opportunity resources for military veterans, awards this designation to schools across the country each year. VIQTORY uses six categories to evaluate a school’s military friendliness, which include: academic policies and compliance; admissions and orientation; culture and commitment; financial aid and assistance; graduation and career and military student support and retention.

One of Kent State’s strongest factors that represent its commitment to military and veteran students is the Center for Adult and Veteran Services, Rider said. 

Military and veteran students have this designated center that provides resources and programs to enhance their college experience.

Kent State’s Salem campus ranked as No. 7 in the small public schools’ category and earned the elite Military Friendly Top-10 School Award and gold-level distinction.

“Those who come to the Salem Campus following military service are fortunate to have resources that help them transition into students and to help them navigate the processes,” Kent State Salem Dean David Dees said through a spokesperson.

The Salem campus offers a variety of programs, policies and student support services for veteran and military students, Tim Long, an academic advisor, wrote in an email. Long wrote that these polices have helped make the campus military friendly. 

“We work hard to welcome all students and we feel especially honored when we are able to help military members,” Dees wrote. “This recognition validates our efforts.”

Some of the policies Salem offers for military and veteran students are reimbursements or remissions on course fees, returns without penalty after deployment and offering evening programs and accelerated courses.

Kent State Salem provides student support services for their military and veteran students that help enhance the students’ college experience, which include: accommodations for military students with disabilities; full-time veteran counselors or advisors; formal mentoring for military staff members and military or veteran students; social space reserved for military and veteran students; networking events for veterans; career guidance counseling for military students and industry-employer relationship programs to assist with post-graduation for military and veteran students.

These services, policies and programs aim to provide support and assurance to military and veteran students, according to the Military Friendly website.

Kent State’s Stark and Trumbull campuses were also given the Military Friendly designation this year in the small public schools’ category.

Contact Jill Golden at [email protected].