LC State earns Military Friendly Gold designation

Lewis-Clark State College, which has campuses in Coeur d'Alene and Lewiston, has once again been designated as a Military Friendly School and this time with a special gold-level designation by Military Friendly, the organization announced Wednesday.

The gold designation means LC State is rated within 10% of the 10th-ranked organization for the category of small public college.

“It is our honor to serve active and former military members and their spouses,” LC State President Cynthia Pemberton said in a news release.

“I come from a multigenerational family of legacy military service — my father, my brother and currently my nephew — and I know firsthand that such individuals go above and beyond to serve our country," she said. "LC State is proud to go above and beyond to serve them. I thank our Veterans Services team, including coordinator Mickey Kelton, for its tremendous efforts.”

Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2024-25 survey with 537 earning special awards for going above the standard.

Methodology, criteria and weightings were determined by Viqtory with input from the Military Friendly Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Schools are rated on military student support and retention (30%), graduation and career outcomes (30%), financial aid and loan repayment (12%), culture and commitment (10%), academic policies and compliance (9%) and admissions and orientation (9%).

LC State has an Office of Veterans Services and closely works with veterans in utilizing their GI Bill benefits. The office also serves veterans' spouses and dependents using Dependent Education Assistance benefits. The college has students who are in active duty as well as National Guard members who are utilizing tuition assistance and the State Education Assistance Program. The college also offers a Veterans Resource Center where veterans, and those utilizing GI Bill benefits, can access free printing, snacks, a lounge area and computers with CAC reader access.

“It truly is an honor to serve those who have served us,” Kelton said. “This designation means that the college cares about the service members’ and their families’ sacrifices and dedication to our country. This award recognizes the institution as a whole, from the president to the student body, for its devotion to helping service members and their families be successful once they leave the military. We are excited to welcome any service member and capitalize on their experiences to assist the faculty, staff and other students at LC.”

LC State was also designated as Military Friendly in 2020.