Austin Peay State University receives National Student Veterans Award

Clarksville, TN – On Monday, March 18th, Austin Peay State University received a national award from the Student Veterans of America in honor of the commitments APSU has made in the last few years to help active duty military, reservists, national guardsmen and veteran students earn their college degrees.

“The award honors APSU for its superior work helping veterans and their families,” SVO President Michael Cleveland said.

APSU’s SVO chapter began as a discussion group where student veterans could discuss the unique challenges they face in a university environment. The organization formalized in April 2010 and is affiliated with the Student Veterans of America, a network of college and university student veteran groups throughout the United States.

At APSU, veterans and active duty military are appreciated through a number of services and efforts. In 2010, APSU established the Military Student Center inside the Morgan University Center, Room 120 as a facility where military-related students can relax and study with other students with similar interests. The center is open to all students, faculty and staff. There is a lounge area for fellowship and relaxation, computers and printers for personal and academic use, and a study table for individual and group work.

The center assists veterans and military students with the transition to college by serving as a clearinghouse of information. Throughout the year, the center staff provides workshops and outreach events to help the campus better understand sacrifices, gifts and challenges of the military culture.

APSU also offers veterans and/or active duty military out-of-state fee waivers for active duty military, early registration for veterans, withdrawal without penalty if deployed or activated and veteran-specific sections of seminars and classes.

APSU also presents the APSU military coin to its employees and graduates who are military veterans. The coin was developed in 2011, and APSU has presented the coin at several military graduate recognition ceremonies to honor students who have served or are serving in the military and graduated from APSU.