November 10, 2026
SVSU recognized by veterans organizations
In affirmation of its commitment to military-affiliated students, Saginaw Valley State University has again earned national and state recognition from both Military Times and the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Military Times named SVSU to its annual Best for Vets: Colleges rankings for 2026-2027. SVSU is ranked No. 106 of 370 colleges and universities across the United States and No. 3 in Michigan. The Best for Vets designation is awarded to colleges and universities that demonstrate commitment to active service members, veterans and military families. This marks the 13th year SVSU has made the Best for Vets list.
SVSU also earned recognition from the Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency’s Veteran-Friendly Schools program for the 12th consecutive year. SVSU has earned a Gold designation for the 2026-2027 cycle.
This year, the Veteran Friendly Schools program enrolled a record-breaking 73 institutions, including universities and colleges, trade schools and apprenticeship programs in Michigan.
“We're proud to receive these recognitions year after year, but what matters most is the support we provide our military-connected students,” said Bethany Alford, director of SVSU’s Military Student Affairs and special assistant to the associate provost/dean of students. “At SVSU, we're committed to making sure our veterans, service members and their families feel valued, supported and have every opportunity to succeed. It's a commitment we take seriously and work to strengthen every day.”
Sam Lenhart, a general studies major, is one of more than 400 military-affiliated students at SVSU. After graduating from St. Charles High School, Lenhart joined the U.S. Air Force, serving as an aircraft mechanic. After separating from active duty, Lenhart enrolled at SVSU and connected with the Military Student Affairs Office, where staff helped him navigate education benefits and meet other military-affiliated students.
“I can't speak for all veterans, but it's (connection with other veterans) something you kind of yearn for after you get out of the military. You know, you're active duty and you've been surrounded by nothing but active-duty servicemen for years and you relate to them in a way on a kind of a deep level because you've all gone through it. And when you get out, you're trying to find your way and trying to find what's familiar. So surrounding yourself with veterans in this way, you just feel accepted and like this is kind of a place where you need to be or you'd like to be,” he said.
The Military Times Best for Vets program evaluates how well institutions serve military-connected students to help service members, veterans and their families determine where to go to school following their military service. Rankings are based on a detailed survey of each school’s policies, programs and outcomes, including university culture, student support services, academic policies, costs and financial assistance, and military-connected student success rates.
The full 2026 Best for Vets: Colleges rankings are available here.
The MVAA’s Veteran-Friendly Schools recognition is based on a range of veteran-focused services, including dedicated resource centers, academic advising, peer-to-peer mentoring and career readiness initiatives. To earn the Gold designation, a school must meet six of the seven criteria:
- A process for identification of veteran students
- A veteran-specific website
- An active veteran student organization or club
- Veteran-specific career services, resources, advising and/or outcome monitoring
- An on-campus veteran’s coordinator and/or designated staff point of contact
- A system to evaluate and reward academic credit based on prior military training and experience
- Monitoring and evaluation of student veteran academic retention, progress, and graduation rates