Southeast Missouri State University has earned the Gold Military Friendly School designation for 2026-27 and has also been named a Military Spouse Friendly School, marking the fourth consecutive year the University has received national recognition for its commitment to serving veterans, active-duty service members and military-affiliated students.
The Gold designation recognizes institutions that demonstrate strong outcomes and support systems for military-connected students, including academic success, career preparation, financial assistance and access to resources that help students transition from military service to higher education. The Military Spouse Friendly School designation recognizes institutions that support military spouses pursuing their education while navigating the demands of military family life.
For Amanda Woods, SEMO's military and veteran services officer, the recognition provides an independent assessment of the University's efforts to help military-affiliated students succeed.
"We aren't simply checking enough boxes to be called Military Friendly; our performance is measured against other institutions in our category," Woods said. "For me, that's what makes the designation meaningful. It provides outside validation that the policies, services and support we have built at SEMO are producing results and are competitive with some of the strongest military-serving institutions in the country."
Explore SEMO's Military Benefits
The Military Friendly Schools designation is determined through an evaluation of publicly available data and an institutional survey. Institutions are assessed on academic policies and compliance, student retention and graduation, career outcomes, financial aid, admissions and orientation, and services designed specifically for military-affiliated students.
Schools must meet established benchmarks and demonstrate strong performance within their institutional categories to earn Gold recognition.
Woods said maintaining the designation is particularly important because military-affiliated students often face different challenges as they pursue their education, from navigating education benefits to balancing military responsibilities with coursework and preparing for civilian careers.
“The students we serve have already made significant commitments to our country, to their families and, now, to completing their education,” said Woods. “I believe we have an obligation to make sure that when they choose SEMO, we are prepared to support that next mission.”
For veterans, service members and their families, SEMO's Office of Military and Veterans Services provides support as they pursue their education and prepare for their next careers. To learn more about the resources available to military-affiliated students, visit semo.edu/military.