By Francisco Velazquez

The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) has designated Michigan State University as a “Gold-level” Veteran-Friendly School for the 11th consecutive year, reaffirming MSU’s position as one of the state's leading institutions for veterans and military-affiliated learners.

The recognition marks more than a decade of continuous excellence since the MVAA program was established, underscoring the university’s unwavering commitment to veterans, active-duty service members, guard, reserve, and military families.

Patrick Forystek, director of the MSU Center for Veterans and Military-Affiliated Students (CVMAS), emphasized the significance of sustaining this high standard over time.

“Reaching 11 consecutive years of Gold-level status highlights that our commitment to student veterans and military families isn't just a point in time—it’s an ongoing, university-wide priority,” said Forystek. “We want every veteran and military-affiliated student to know that MSU is a place where they can thrive academically, professionally, and personally.”

Associate Vice President in Student Affairs Kim Steed-Page echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the collaborative efforts across campus.

“Veterans and military-affiliated students bring invaluable perspective and leadership to our community,” said Steed-Page. “Surpassing a decade with 11 straight Gold designations demonstrates the extraordinary work being done by the CVMAS team and our partners across campus to ensure these students receive world-class support.”

Gold certification is the highest level of recognition awarded by the MVAA’s Veteran-Friendly Schools program, which evaluates higher education institutions on their dedication to veteran-centric services. To get the Gold, institutions must meet at least six of seven key criteria, including:

• An established process to identify student veterans
• A dedicated veteran-specific website
• An active student veteran organization or club
• Tailored career services, advising, and outcome tracking
• An on-campus veterans coordinator or designated point of contact
• A system to evaluate and award academic credit for prior military training and experience
• Comprehensive monitoring of veteran academic retention, progress, and graduation rates

MSU has achieved Gold-level status every year since the MVAA initiative launched during the 2015–16 academic year.  

Serving under the CVMAS banner—which expanded from the former Student Veterans Resource Center to better reflect its broad support for both veterans and their dependents—the center supports a thriving campus military community that includes over 400 student veterans and more than 2,800 military-affiliated students.