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Once again, Pensacola State College proudly earns prestigious recognition in its service to veterans, active-duty military members and their families. Military Times’ 2024 Best for Vets: College named Pensacola State No. 4 in the Florida College System and in the top 12 in Florida, overall, among 304 ranked four-year universities and colleges in the recently released list, demonstrating commitment to supporting the military community in their educational journeys. Pensacola State also earned the Military Times’ Best for Vets ranking in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Rankings are a result of a comprehensive survey of veteran and military student services; academic achievement rates and other factors that make colleges and universities a good fit for service members, veterans and their families are also considered in the list.
Viqtory Media also named the College a 2024-2025 Gold Military Friendly school for the 15th year; it is the third consecutive year earning the gold designation in the “Large Public” category. The gold award is given to schools for leading practices, outcomes, and effective programs that dedicate resources to military students to ensure classroom and graduation success.
Associate Vice President of Institutional Research and Enterprise Solutions Michael Johnston said, “Veterans and their families frequently express appreciation for PSC’s personalized approach to service. Many value the dedicated support they receive in navigating educational benefits and the sense of belonging PSC provides. Programs and services like academic advising, career counseling, and financial aid assistance are tailored specifically to meet their needs, fostering an environment where they feel understood and valued.”
Veteran Luis Perez Flores couldn’t agree more. A Cybersecurity student pursuing his bachelor’s degree at PSC in May 2026, Flores affirmed, “I graduated from high school in 2006 and coming back to college at the age of 35 was scary. When I came to PSC and saw the environment, it made me feel at home, and I wasn’t as nervous anymore. I felt very comfortable, and they helped me with all my needs. Initially, I was doing my Cybersecurity A.A. degree here and then was going to transfer to [another university] to get my bachelor’s, but with how amazing it was here with my A.A., I decided to stay at PSC.”
Coordinator of the Veteran and Military Service Center Abe Clark affirmed that “Pensacola State College prides itself on being a supportive and accommodating institution for veterans, active-duty military members and their families. From flexible scheduling to specialized services, PSC understands the unique challenges faced by our military community. Our staff works to ensure a smooth transition to college life, helping veterans and military dependents make the most of their educational benefits while fostering a strong support network within the college.”
TRiO Veterans Upward Bound helps prepare eligible veterans to enter and successfully complete college. TRiO Veterans Student Support Services offers and array of services to veterans whose discharge was other than dishonorable and are enrolled or accepted for enrollment and meet at least one of the following criteria: first-generation student, low income, disability, evidence of academic need. The Veteran and Military Family Service Center provides a “full-service PSC experience” to the entire active duty, veteran, and military-connected student population. “The Center is going to be working with the population of ‘military affiliation.’ Whether someone is a military veteran dependent, the actual veteran using the benefit, or someone is active-duty, it’s going to be a ‘one-stop shop’: they can get academic assistance, get life coaching and get certifications done to make sure they get paid [while going to school],” shared Johnston.
Flores contends that once he has finished his undergraduate degree, he will go on for his master’s degree at a university online that provides graduate-level instruction. He said that he would enjoy working in the cyber field for the government since, as an active-duty Marine for 12 years, he had firsthand experience with many cybersecurity situations and saw how important it is for our society. Transitioning into college since taking a break after high school to give service to our country in the military, Flores appreciates the assistance he has gotten from PSC to help him succeed.
“Veterans Services is just amazing because they helped me with my tutoring: what I learned in math back in the 90s is not the same math we are learning currently,” laughed Flores, “so they were a big part in trying to catch me up with the modern methods we are using now. The ADA services [have also been an integral part of my PSC journey]. They are super friendly with me and available for me: any time I needed help, they were there for me. They gave my recommendations, reached out to my professors to inform them of my disabilities and let them know specifically what I needed.”
Other veterans, active-duty military members and their families seem to be experiencing similar successes, as they are increasingly drawn to the College. According to Michael Johnston, “Our commitment to military families is reflected in the growing numbers of military-affiliated students at PSC. This fall, we have seen a significant increase, with 78 active-duty personnel, 1,106 military dependents, and 482 student veterans enrolled. This growth is consistent with the College’s dedication to meeting the educational needs of those who have served our country and their loved ones. We have over a 300% increase in students identifying with an active duty or veteran affiliation from last year and are excited to continue to work and grow the support our military-affiliated students.”
Summing up his experiences at Pensacola State College, Veteran Luis Perez Flores said, “There’s a saying, ‘Age is just a number.’ PSC is very welcoming to any age – high school to 80-year-old students and veterans, as well. Knowledge is power, and if people are just afraid because they don’t know how they are going to do back in college, [I encourage them] to take the first step; after that, it is easy. If I can do it, anyone can do it.”
President Ed Meadows remarks that this veteran’s story and experiences at Pensacola State College is, perhaps, one of hundreds of reasons our veterans, active-duty military members and their families come to achieve their dreams of a better future through the excellent education and services they receive as the College strives to give back all that these men and women have given to us through the sacrifices they make to our country. We are proud to be named to Military Times’ 2024 Best for Vets: Colleges and congratulate all who make that prestigious designation possible.
Rankings are published in Militar0y Times magazine and at MilitaryTimes.com, ArmyTimes.com, NavyTimes.com, AirForceTimes.com and MarineCorpsTimes.com.
For more information about PSC’s programs, call Veteran Services at (850) 484-1670, Veterans Student Support Services at (850) 484-1971, or Veterans Upward Bound at (850) 484-1438.