The number of U.S. military veterans and their dependents enrolling at Arkansas Tech University is on the rise.
The Major General William E. Harmon Office of Veteran Services at Arkansas Tech reports that it has certified 314 ATU students for G.I. Bill benefits for the fall 2026 semester, which is an increase of 9.4 percent compared to fall 2025.
The increase comes on the heels of the office moving to a new location in the Doc Bryan Student Services Center.
“We are very welcoming in our office, especially with the new and bigger space that we have moved into,” said Shelly Hall, director of the Major General William E. Harmon Office of Veteran Services at ATU. “When families and veterans see that, it gives them an idea that they will have a good space to come to.”
It was announced in March that Arkansas Tech earned Military Friendly School Top 10 status and Gold status for 2026-27.
Student retention, persistence, graduation, job placement, loan repayment and loan default rates for all students and for student veterans are among the factors used to evaluate institutions seeking the Military Friendly School distinction.
For the year 2026-27, Arkansas Tech is ranked No. 8 in the United States among large public universities by Military Friendly Schools.
“We are seeing an increase of more dependents enrolling, which is a difference in what they need,” said Hall. “They need more of that one-on-one help, and they enjoy coming in here because we have a lounge they can hang out in. They want that family kind of feel, and I believe our office provides that.”
To learn more about educational opportunities at Arkansas Tech for active and retired military personnel and their dependents, call the ATU Major General William E. Harmon Office of Veteran Services at (479) 968-0445 or visit www.atu.edu/veterans.
