For the fifth consecutive year, the University of Southern Mississippi has earned a prestigious Military Friendly School Gold Status designation.
This elite recognition further identifies USM as the top “Military Friendly” four-year Institution in the state of Mississippi.
“Our measure of success is our students: their transition to becoming a USM Golden Eagle, (their) academic progress, social awareness and, ultimately, job placement,” said Jeff Hammond, director of USM’s Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families. “We joyfully consider it a blessing and honor to serve student-veterans, their families and others who cared enough in their lifetime to protect the freedoms of our sacred constitutional republic.”
Now in its 20th year, the Military Friendly Schools list has come to set the standard for higher education institutions to provide the best opportunities for veterans and their spouses. This prestigious list provides a comprehensive guide for veterans and their families using data sources from federal agencies, veteran students and proprietary survey information from participating organizations.
Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from the survey. More than 1,200 schools participated in the 2021-2022 survey with approximately 750 schools earning the “Military Friendly” designation. Of those, 162 were selected for the “Gold” award status for their leading practices, outcomes and effective programs.
“We work hard each day to find ways for our military students to succeed,” said Michael McGee, outreach coordinator with the USM center. “Our obligation to the entire military veteran community is threefold: lead by example, love our students and provide the finest in customer service. We are proud to continue in our service in serving those who protected and continue to protect our freedoms.”
The Military Friendly ratings program was started in 2003.
