Southern State renews Purple Star designation for military students

Southern State Community College kept its Collegiate Purple Star Designation for three more years, preserving a state-backed signal that Adams County veterans, active-duty service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and their families can use when choosing a place to study close to home. The renewal matters because the Purple Star label is tied to schools that show deliberate support for military-connected students, not just a general welcome statement.

Ohio’s Department of Higher Education announced the latest round of Collegiate Purple Star Awards in June, with Chancellor Mike Duffey associated with the program. The state renewal rubric says renewing campuses must show evidence of directly engaging and supporting military-connected students, and schools are required to designate a staff member as the point of contact for military students and families.

At Southern State, that support is reflected in its Military/Veterans admissions information and the Patriot Link portal, which give students a place to start when they are sorting out benefits, enrollment and other college tasks. For a National Guard member in Adams County balancing class schedules with drill weekends, or a veteran returning after a move or deployment, that kind of single campus contact can keep a semester from unraveling when service obligations get in the way.

The designation also carries practical weight in a rural service region where community college is often the most accessible route to a certificate, degree or career change. Southern State’s mission is to provide accessible, affordable and high-quality education to people in southern Ohio, and the Purple Star renewal keeps a formal state marker in place for students who need school to work around military life rather than against it.

The award is part of a broader pattern across Ohio higher education. Other campuses, including Mount St. Joseph University, Edison State Community College, Marietta College and Shawnee State University, have also renewed Purple Star status, showing that military-connected support has become a visible measure of competition between colleges as much as a badge of pride.

For Adams County families weighing whether to stay local for school, the renewed designation signals that Southern State is expected to keep the kinds of supports military-connected students rely on most: a known contact, clear benefits information and a campus culture shaped around the disruptions of service.