Black Hills State University was named a Top 10 Military Friendly® School by VIQTORY media company. The university earned the Top 10 ranking in the small public university category.
BHSU earned especially high rankings in the “Culture & Commitment” and “Military Student Support & Retention” categories of the Military Friendly® benchmarks.
Currently, more than 180 veterans and veteran dependents are enrolled at BHSU. Greg Krajewski, veteran resource coordinator and veteran of the U.S. Air Force, says BHSU offers unique services and financial aid to veteran.
“We provide reduced tuition of $250 to our active duty veterans. With the federal aid they receive, the BHSU reduced rate for veterans covers their tuition cost,” says Krajewski.
Krajewski meets with student veterans onsite at both BHSU locations in Spearfish and in Rapid City, and the student veteran population is closely split between the two campuses. Each BHSU location has a dedicated Veterans Center with computer and printing access, as well as the comradery of connecting with fellow veterans. BHSU also has a Veterans Club which works to support veteran students and their families while also engaging with military celebrations and issues in the community.
“BHSU staff and faculty are accessible and glad to help student veterans achieve success. In my role, I know how vital it is to not only offer timely information to veteran students about their education benefits, but to be proactive in certifying these benefits so students receive them on time,” says Krajewski.
Many student veterans and veteran dependents transfer to BHSU with credits from another college or are resuming higher education at BHSU after a long hiatus. BHSU supports these, along with first-time college students, with academic tutoring, student health, and counseling services as needed.
Currently, the most popular BHSU academic programs among student veterans are the AACSB-accredited business degree and the highly-marketable human services degree. Krajewski says the master’s program in strategic leadership is one of many programs at BHSU especially applicable to veterans.
“At BHSU and BHSU-Rapid City student veterans will find an affordable and supportive college experience with excellent academic quality,” says Krajewski. “We are proud to serve our veterans by helping them achieve their goals in education.”