KANKAKEE, Ill. – Kankakee Community College (KCC) has been recognized as a Military Friendly® School, earning a gold ranking in the 2023 Guide to Military Friendly® Schools.
This distinction is awarded to only 28 small community colleges across the United States. KCC has around 60 veterans who enroll each year, with 35 currently utilizing VA Education benefits. The college’s director of financial aid and student engagement, Kendra Souligne, stated that KCC is committed to assisting those who served or are currently serving in the US military and their families.
KCC is one of only 14 community colleges in Illinois to achieve Military Friendly® designation this year. The award is based on an evaluation of the school’s retention, graduation, job placement, repayment, persistence, and loan default rates for all students, as well as student veterans. The 2023-24 Military Friendly® Schools list is published in the May 2023 issue of G.I. Jobs magazine.
In addition to its gold ranking, KCC has numerous military-friendly attributes, including scholarships for military students and veterans, a Veterans Resource Center, and full-time advisers on staff. The college also accepts the American Council on Education recommendations for awarding credit for College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and/or DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) exams. KCC offers in-district tuition for CH. 33 Post 9/11 and CH. 30 Montgomery GI Bill recipients and gives college credit for military training and experience.
Four veterans represented KCC at the 2023 Student Veterans of America conference. KCC students Mark Cross of Watseka, Juan Perez of St. Anne, and Rodolfo Leal of Bradley, along with Cesar Avalos, KCC’s coordinator for workforce opportunities & career services, attended the conference—the largest gathering of student veterans in the country.
KCC offers a range of resources and support for military veterans, spouses, and dependents. More information can be found at kcc.edu/veterans.
