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The Florida Collegiate Purple Star Campus ribbon
The Florida Department of Education has designated Pensacola State College as a Collegiate Purple Star Campus for the services it provides at all sites to all active military and veterans and their families.
The Collegiate Purple Star Campus designation was established by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in June 2023 to recognize schools that demonstrate a commitment to supporting military students and families as they transition to college.
PSC meets the criteria for this honorable designation by offering a military liaison and dedicated website, a student-led transition program, professional development for staff on issues relating to military students, and priority registration for military students and families.
The college currently serves an enrollment of 1,700 active-duty military, veteran or military dependent students with a Veteran and Military Family Service Center and the TRIO Veterans Upward Bound program providing support and resources for academic success.
“Continued designations for military friendliness recognition speak to the college’s effort to ensure specialized student support services are available to those who serve and have served in the U.S. Armed Services as well as their families,” said PSC President Ed Meadows. “Our strong support of American Armed Forces in active service and as veterans is one of the most important priorities of PSC.”
Veteran and Military Family Service Center Director Abe Clark is the college’s military liaison.
“We realized a couple of years ago that PSC’s military population was not only increasing, but dependents were becoming the majority and that we needed more resources to assist these students. The Veteran Services Office was then transformed into the Veteran and Military Family Service Center,” said Clark. “I wish to thank Dr. Meadows, all of the leadership here at the college, and my outstanding team for all the creativity and hard work in achieving this impressive statewide recognition.”
The Collegiate Purple Star Campus designation is the latest of several honors the college has received for its work with active duty military, veterans and their families with inclusion on the Military Times Best for Vets Colleges list, Military Friendly School and Military Spouse Friendly School designations by Viqtory Media, and the Purple Heart College designation by the Military Order of the Purple Heart for demonstrating a commitment to supporting combat-wounded veterans and their families.