Midlands Tech becomes designated Purple Heart College

Listen to this article

Several regional military leaders were at Midlands Technical College this week to sign an agreement that designates the institution as a Purple Heart College, including Fort Jackson Commanding General Brig. Gen. Milford Beagle and Carl Lopez, Commander of the South Carolina Chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

The designation honors Midlands Technical College’s commitment to service members, veterans and their families, according to a news release. Earlier this year, MTC signed an agreement to award college credits to soldiers training at the U.S. Army Financial Management School at Fort Jackson. Credit soldiers earn from their military training will apply toward an associate degree or certificate in accounting from MTC.

“We salute our student soldiers and veterans and are honored to be designated as a Purple Heart College,” Ron Rhames, MTC president, said in the release. “At MTC, we recognize the importance of providing higher education and support services to military families and veterans."

The Purple Heart designation honors fallen, wounded, active and retired military service personnel in South Carolina. The Purple Heart is the nation’s oldest military award, introduced by Gen. George Washington in 1782, and honors those wounded or killed in action against an enemy of the United States.

MTC is the largest provider of veterans’ educational benefits in South Carolina, according to a release from the school. It was selected as a Best College for Veterans by Military Times in 2019, the only two-year school in the state to receive that designation. MTC also established a Veterans Success Center to help military personnel and their families transition to higher education and is also the only college in South Carolina to be designated as a VetSuccess on Campus (VSOC) by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.