The Military Friendly Survey has awarded Virginia Western Community College a designation of Gold Status for 2026-27 following College-wide efforts to support military-affiliated students.
The Military Friendly organization assesses educational institutions on benchmarks including graduation, retention, job placement or transfer rates; loan default rates; and veteran outcomes as well as outcomes for Guard and Reserve students, dependents, active duty, and military spouses. To be designated Military Friendly, an educational institution must meet three or more benchmarks.
To achieve Gold Status, Virginia Western had to meet five or more benchmarks and meet qualification percentages compared with other schools in the award category of Large Community College in this survey cycle. The new designation upgrades the College’s ranking of Silver in 2025-26. Virginia Western again received designation as a Military Spouse Friendly School.
The elevation from Military Friendly Silver to Gold status reflects a focused, student-first approach to serving our veteran and military-connected community, said Brandon Snead, VERITAS Veteran Liaison at Virginia Western and himself a U.S. Air Force veteran.
“Over the past year, we’ve implemented new and optimized processes that significantly reduce certification wait times for VA benefits users, while also expanding our outreach efforts to better connect with service members and veterans where they are,” Snead said.
He noted that the student work-study team at the Military Student Center has performed at an exceptionally high level, contributing to a more efficient and welcoming environment.
“At the Military Student Center, we are constantly looking for ways to grow and improve — from introducing loaner calculators to expanding our coffee bar — all with the goal of removing barriers and creating a space where our military-affiliated students can truly thrive,” Snead said.
The Military Student Center held a celebration May 5 to celebrate and recognize the outreach that led to Gold Status.
For more information about the Military Student Center, contact Brandon Snead at bsnead@virginiawestern.edu.
