§ 17:3138.5 — Purple Star Campus; designation; process; eligibility; applications

Louisiana § 17:3138.5

• Jurisdiction: Louisiana
• Title 17: Credit Union Law

Text

§3138.5. Purple Star Campus; designation; process; eligibility; applications
A.(1) The legislature finds that military veterans need comprehensive, statewide
support to aid them in transition from military service to enrollment in postsecondary
education institutions. This support should encourage the enrollment of veterans and address
issues that may deter their participation in postsecondary education. These issues include but
are not limited to affordability, lack of awareness by postsecondary faculty and staff of
veterans' culture, the need for orientation and mentoring programs designed specifically for
veterans, and the facilitation of credit completion by veterans as efficiently and quickly as
possible.
(2) The purpose of this Section is to provide formal recognition by the governor of
postsecondary education institutions in Louisiana that successfully create a supportive
environment for military veterans.
B.(1) The Board of Regents shall establish a process for a postsecondary education
institution to be designated as a "Purple Star Campus".
(2) To be eligible to receive the designation as specified in Paragraph (1) of this
Subsection, an institution shall, at a minimum, meet all of the following criteria:
(a)(i) For public postsecondary education institutions, adopt and fully implement the
military articulation and transfer process as provided in R.S. 17:3165.2.
(ii) For nonpublic postsecondary education institutions, adopt and fully implement
a military friendly articulation and transfer process that aligns with nationally recognized
standards for evaluating educational experiences in the United States Armed Forces.
(b) Offer waivers from application fees to veterans.
(c) Offer specialized orientation programs for veterans that provide detailed
information on the programs, services, and accommodations available.
(d) Adopt deployment and readmission policies that provide for the prompt
readmission to the institution of veterans with the same academic status that they had when
last attending or accepted for admission at the institution.
(e) Offer priority class scheduling to veterans that is at least as early as that offered
to students enrolled in the honors college, athletes, students with disabilities, and spring
invitational program participants, whichever occurs first. If the institution does not offer
priority scheduling to any of these groups, the institution shall allow veterans to schedule
classes at least one day prior to the general class registration for undergraduate students.
(f) Designate a faculty or staff member to serve as a military liaison.
(g) Maintain a section on its website highlighting resources for military students and
their families.
(h) Maintain a student-led transition program that assists military students by
acclimating them to the campus and its facilities and local resources.
(i) Offer professional development opportunities to faculty and staff relative to issues
unique to military students.
C. In addition to the eligibility criteria required in Paragraph (B)(2) of this Section,
an institution shall meet at least three of the following criteria in order to receive the
designation specified in Paragraph (B)(1) of this Section:
(1) Offer at least one course per fall and spring semester in history, political science,
English, or mathematics that is specifically designed for and exclusively available to veterans
or offer a course for credit that is specifically designed for and exclusively available to
veterans and that focuses on introducing them to the college experience and covers issues of
transition, leveraging benefits, and disability issues.
(2) Offer free tutoring to veterans.
(3) Host a workshop at least twice each year for veterans to provide instruction
regarding career opportunities, interviewing skills, resume writing, and networking.
(4) Host a Reserve Officers' Training Corps program affiliated with a branch of the
armed services.
D.(1) The Board of Regents shall develop an application process, including time
lines for submitting applications, for institutions that are interested in receiving the
designation specified in Paragraph (B)(1) of this Section.
(2) The Board of Regents shall review each application and shall submit such
applications to the governor along with a written report that indicates if an institution meets
the requirements specified in Subsections B and C of this Section to receive the initial
designation by the governor.
(3) Designation of an institution as a "Purple Star Campus" shall apply for three
years.
(4) After receiving the initial designation by the governor and in accordance with
timelines established by the board, an institution shall submit a renewal application to the
Board of Regents prior to the expiration of a designation and an interim report in each year
it is not submitting a renewal application. Each renewal application and interim report shall
include, at a minimum, all of the following information from the previous year as it relates
to veterans:
(a) The number granted application fee waivers.
(b) The number who attended the specialized orientation program and a description
of the orientation program.
(c) The number who participated in the priority class registration.
(d) The number who benefitted from the military articulation and transfer process
as provided in Subparagraph (B)(2)(a) of this Section, the number of credit hours accepted
through the transfer process, and a list of the courses credited through the transfer process.
(f) Other military friendly information identified by the Board of Regents.
(5) If the Board of Regents determines that the institution meets the requirements
specified in Subsections B and C of this Section based on its renewal application, the
institution shall receive the designation for that year. If the Board of Regents determines that
an institution does not meet the specified requirements, the board shall provide written notice
to the institution and the institution shall have forty-five days from receipt of the notice to
correct or amend its renewal application. If the institution does not submit a corrected or
amended application or if the corrected or amended application does not meet the
requirements as determined by the board, the institution shall not receive the designation for
that year.
E. The Board of Regents may establish additional tiers of distinction for the purpose
of recognizing higher levels of excellence demonstrated by institutions that have received the
designation provided for in this Section. If the board establishes additional tiers, it shall
provide for the criteria for each tier and the associated application process.
F. For purposes of this Section, "veteran" shall have the meaning as provided in R.S.
13:5364.

Legislative History

Acts 2015, No. 232, §1; Acts 2021, No. 429, §1, eff. June 21, 2021; Acts 2023, No. 53, §1; Acts 2025, No. 130, §1.