How the State Supports Those Who Serve

In spring 2024, Ohio’s Collegiate Purple Star program celebrated its second year in existence. In that time, nearly 60 Ohio colleges and universities earned the designation by demonstrating their commitment to students who are military connected.

“A majority of our public institutions and a lot of larger private ones have earned this designation,” says Jared Shank, Senior Director of Military and Apprenticeship Initiatives and Special Projects for the Ohio Department of Higher Education. He adds that the application process to receive the Collegiate Purple Star designation is a thorough one.

The recognition means there is a point person or a place on campus — not necessarily a physical office but some type of meeting location — where military-connected students can get information and help with processing GI benefits, assistance with evaluation of military transcripts and more.

“We’ve got around 20,000 people in the state using veterans benefits and enrolled in schools,” Shank says. “A large majority of those 20,000 students are in [Collegiate Purple Star] schools.”

The Ohio Department of Higher Education is working to bring even more colleges and universities on board, with the goal of every public institution having the Collegiate Purple Star designation. It ensures that schools have the necessary knowledge to help military-connected students navigate the benefits and programs available to them, while military-connected students can rest assured that the schools they attend can provide proper guidance. One of the many ways Collegiate Purple Star-designated schools supports servicemembers and veterans is in helping them convert valuable military experience into college credits.

“When you’re serving, the military keeps tabs on what you’ve done with them, kind of like professional development,” Shank says. “They have schools and programs. In the world of academia, it’s like multiple certification programs.”

The conversion of military credits is legally required for all public institutions, but now private schools in Ohio that want to earn the Collegiate Purple Star designation must accept such credits to be affiliated with the program.

In addition, Shank notes that there is military training and experience that does not always show up in the transcript. Collegiate Purple Star schools have someone on staff who can help translate that knowledge earned during a student’s time in the military to coursework credits.

“They’ll help you see what outcomes from a specific course you have met, then have the servicemember or veteran write up documentation, and faculty will evaluate this credit,” Shank says. “Potential academic credits can fall through the cracks if the right questions aren’t asked about their experience.”

For more information about the Collegiate Purple Star program, visit highered.ohio.gov.

This story ran in the Summer-Fall 2024 issue of College 101.