What challenges and opportunities do veterans face when returning to academia? Purdue University has answered this question with action. Recently, Purdue and its regional campuses earned Indiana's highest honor—the Tier 1 Collegiate Purple Star of Indiana award—recognizing the institution's longstanding commitment to supporting military-affiliated students.

A Comprehensive Support System

The award highlights Purdue University's system-wide efforts (including Purdue Fort Wayne and Purdue Northwest) to provide veterans with specialized academic advising, career development resources, mental health services, and an intentionally inclusive campus environment. These initiatives aim to ease veterans' transition into academic life while helping them overcome potential obstacles and maximize their potential.

A Model for Higher Education

Purdue's success demonstrates how universities can play transformative roles in veteran support. By offering tailored services, institutions not only empower veterans' personal growth but also cultivate socially responsible leaders. This recognition establishes Purdue as a national benchmark, inspiring other colleges to strengthen support for military-affiliated students.

Ranked #46 in U.S. News & World Report's national university rankings, Purdue exemplifies how elite institutions can blend academic excellence with profound social responsibility and human-centered values.