UofL earns top honor for service to military-connected students

Whether on campus studying at the University of Louisville’s Center for Military-Connected Students in Brodschi Hall or engaging in courses online from another state or country, UofL's military-connected students experience top-level commitment to their higher education pursuits.

For the third consecutive year, UofL has been recognized for serving these students by earning the Military Friendly® Gold Designation for 2024-2025. This designation is given to institutions who lead practices, outcomes and programs for military service members. UofL also earned the 2024-2025 Military Friendly® Spouse School designation.

“We are honored by these designations and remain committed to improving how we support this population of students who serve our country,” said Kyle Hurwitz, director of the Center for Military-Connected Students. 

Among the factors that contributed to UofL’s gold status:

[caption id="attachment_61297" align="alignright" width="300"] Brodschi Hall[/caption]

• In October 2023, the Center for Military-Connected Students moved into its new home in Brodschi Hall. The renovated, three-story, nearly 5,000 square foot facility quickly become a home away from home for the hundreds of military-connected students who go through its doors each week. Phase two of the renovation was completed in September 2024. This new space in the lower level of the building includes a lounge and game room, a meeting and study room, a Student Veterans of America chapter room, and two additional restrooms.
• The center’s dedicated building has become a benchmark in the state, providing space for the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs to host their spring 2024 student success summit, along with a meeting area for military-related delegations from institutions in California and Ohio. The center also has collaborated with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to bring VA resources and personnel to campus for veteran students.
• In spring 2024, the center certified the enrollment of more than 1,000 students using VA education benefits in a single semester. Additionally, in collaboration with UofL’s Office of the Bursar, the team processed almost 800 military tuition assistance enrollments, up from more than 600 in 2023-2024.
• From a policy advocacy perspective, staff in the center were successful in collaborating with other campus partners to advocate for elimination of the student recreation fee for online students.
• By fall 2024, almost 200 faculty and staff members had completed Red Bird training. This program is designed to help faculty and staff become more knowledgeable about the military-connected student experience. Upon completion of the training, staff are equipped to understand the issues, concerns, unique perspectives, strengths and challenges of military-connected students. These allies become resources for students and other faculty and staff members in their units. 
• Members of the center also have served as panelists on a podcast of the National Association of Student Affairs Professionals and Symposium for Military-Connected Students. Additionally, center staff also led the effort to create the first Atlantic Coast Conference Veteran and Military Support Network. The effort brought together the military-connected and veteran offices/centers from the 18 member institutions, providing a forum to share best-practices in programming, processes and policy. The new group met for the first time in fall 2024 and is planning a conference in 2025.

UofL is one of only 27 Carnegie Designated Tier 1 Research institutions in the nation, and one of only three in the Atlantic Coast Conference to earn a Military Friendly® Gold designation. The almost 2,400 military-connected students enrolled at UofL account for more than 10% of UofL’s total enrollment. In spring 2024, more than 230 military-connected students graduated, representing all 12 UofL colleges and schools.

The Military Friendly® organization awards designations based on public data and proprietary data gathered through an annual data-driven survey process. Institutions are evaluated in six weighted areas: academic policies & compliance; graduation & career outcomes; culture & commitment; military student support & retention; admissions and orientation; and financial aid & loan repayment.