Troy University to be the First University Honored with a Purple Heart

Troy University is the first university in the nation to be honored with a Purple Heart honor. Designated as a Purple Heart University, Troy continues its efforts to honor the veterans that serve America. The award was originally created by George Washington, in which it is given to service members who were either killed or wounded in battle. Since its inauguration, the honor was dubbed the Military Order of the Purple Heart. To further honoring service members, Troy has announced a Troy for Troops Center. The facility will be for military students to access university services and problem resolution. “Our status as the first Purple Heart University in America is a natural extension of Troy’s long history of service to the men and women in uniform,” said Chancellor Jack Hawkins. “We are proud of the thousands of our students and graduates who are serving in harm’s way and it’s with pride that we serve them and support them.” The university continues to aid service members in their efforts in obtaining a sound education. Through the Troops Military Tuition Discount Scholarship, service men and women will be offered a tuition discount, to offset both the cost of attaining a college degree, which has become a concern, due to federal sequestration. Troy currently enrolls about 7,000 military personnel, and over the past 30 years, 123 alumni have retired as general or flag-rank officers from all branches. Of the university’s senior leadership, many have served in the armed forces, including Chancellor Hawkins, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam. Recently, university officials signed a resolution, which officially designates the university a Purple Heart university.