For the third year in a row, Columbus State University has been recognized as a “Military Friendly School” by “G.I. Magazine,” The university’s most recent honors include the designation as a “Military Friendly School for Spouses” and as a “G.I. Magazine’s” Bronze institution. 

The Military FriendlyⓇ Schools list is a significant resource for veterans and active-duty members as they consider higher education studies. The list serves as a guide as to which schools will provide them with the best benefits, opportunities and support in achieving their educational goals. 

“G.I. Magazine” evaluates more than 1,800 institutions through a public survey, with only 665 schools receiving some level of Military FriendlyⓇ designation.

Educational service to retired and active-duty service people and their families is coordinated by Columbus State’s Military Enrollment and Adult Learner office. Advisers and counselors assist military-affiliated students with resources ranging from school-life-career balance, transitioning from military life to civilian learning, transfer credit for previous academic studies, and best utilizing educational and financial benefits stemming from military service

“Many of our military-affiliated students on campus carry with them military education benefits that coupled with traditional financial aid resources, offer tremendous opportunities,” stated Susan Lovell, director of CSU’s Military Enrollment and Adult Learners office. “With additional scholarships specifically for military-affiliated students, we can help further reduce educational costs for active and retired servicepeople and their family members. Our full-time staff is devoted to making the often-cumbersome transition from military to college life as seamless as possible.”

Jacob Bolar, an Army veteran and senior at CSU, emphasized some of the aspects at Columbus State that, in his opinion, make it a military-friendly university.

“We have the Green Zone program at Columbus State, where the [Military and Adult Learners] staff train professors on the specialized needs of military-affiliated students. After a profesor completes that training, they get a Green Zone designation sticker for their office door. That’s a huge welcome sign for veterans like me who might have questions.” 

Those resources extend beyond faculty to all Columbus State employees. Lovell and her team seek to help faculty and staff better understand military-affiliated students’ needs and train their coworkers on how to address and handle those needs as they arise and to connect military-affiliated students with academic, tutoring, advising and financial support available at CSU. 

Beyond academics and college affordability, Columbus State provides a wide variety of programs and services to help current and former servicepeople acclimate to university life. This includes special orientation programs at the start of each semester, as well as a vibrant Student Veterans Association with its own activities that build community.

The 2022-2023 Military Friendly Schools list can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com. For more information on CSU’s Military Enrollment and Adult Learners office, go online to  military.columbusstate.edu, call 706.507.8866 or visit their on-campus office in University Hall on CSU’s Main Campus.