COLUMBUS, Ohio — EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is unrelated to the story and previously aired on 3News on May 23, 2022.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Higher of Education (ODHE) Chancellor Randy Gardner have announced the first round of colleges and universities in Ohio that received Collegiate Purple Star Awards.
Many of the colleges and universities on the list were from Northeast Ohio, including Baldwin Wallace University, Cleveland State, Cuyahoga Community College, Kent State University, Lorain Community College and the University of Akron.
The Collegiate Purple Star Award is given to campuses as a result of their endeavors to support students with military backgrounds.
Thirty-three schools in the state of Ohio were recognized for their efforts and accomplishments.
“Congratulations to the 33 schools chosen as the first Collegiate Purple Star campuses! Thank you for being examples of Ohio’s proud tradition of honoring our service men and women,” Governor DeWine said in a statement. “With these Collegiate Purple Star Award designations, servicemembers, veterans, and military-connected students are able to pursue higher education knowing that their school has the necessary support system and guidance to help them find their next steps.”
Campuses that received the Collegiate Purple Star Award are the following:
Public Campuses
Bowling Green State University
Clark State College
Cleveland State University
Cuyahoga County Community College
Edison State Community College
Hocking College
Kent State University
Lorain County Community College
Marion Technical College
Miami University
Ohio State University
Ohio University
Owens Community College
Rhodes State College
Shawnee State University
Sinclair Community College
Stark State College
Terra State Community College
University of Akron
University of Cincinnati
University of Toledo
Wright State University
Youngstown State University
Zane State College
Independent Campuses
Ashland University
Baldwin Wallace University
Defiance College
Franklin University
Kettering College
Muskingum University
Tiffin University
University of Dayton
Xavier University
Ohio is the first state in the nation to have this award in higher education. In 2017, Ohio became the first state to implement the K-12 Purple Star Award program.
“Ohio has a long history of supporting its veterans and service members, and we are now the first state in the nation where you can receive that support from pre-kindergarten all the way through your postsecondary education and beyond,” Chancellor Gardner said. “May is Military Appreciation Month, which reminds us that it’s important to honor our military for all they do. Today, I congratulate these 33 colleges and universities for being the first Collegiate Purple Star campuses.”
Later this year, the Ohio Department of Higher Education will accept applications for a second round.
More information on the program can be found at https://www.ohiohighered.org/purple-star.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above is from an unrelated story that previously aired on 3News on May 26, 2022.