The University of Central Missouri has taken many efforts to serve U.S. military members and their families – so much so that it has been recognized by several publications for being a top veteran-friendly school. U.S. Veterans Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, and The Military Times have all ranked the university high for its efforts to reach the military population.
Courtney Swoboda, the Director of Military and Veteran Services with UCM, explains why connecting with this community is a focus at the university in Warrensburg.
“We are 15 minutes from Whiteman Air Force Base, so we do have a very large military-affiliated population on our campus. I’m also a service member, so I’m in the 442nd out of Whiteman Air Force Base. I truly have a passion for this population,” she said.
According to Swoboda, the university’s Military and Veterans Success Center has been open for more than 12 years.
University of Central Missouri Military and Veterans Success Center (Photo permission given by UCM)
“We’re a one stop shop in here,” she said. “We process VA educational benefits, military tuition assistance, and we even do military transcripts. So, we really advocate for that military training, what’s on their military transcripts to try and get articulated as credit on our campus.”
At the University of Central Missouri, Air Force students can get their bachelor’s degree more quickly by using their military credit. UCM’s military-affiliated students, including family members, receive in-state tuition rates.
So how are the initiatives impacting enrollment?
“On track for this fall, we are on track to have our highest military-affiliated enrollment for a semester ever. So last year, we hit the 1,600 military-affiliated (enrollment) on our campus. I predict that we hopefully are going to blow that record out of the water this year, too,” she said.
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