SALUTE: Veterans National Honor Society

Ventura College is proud to be a chapter of SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society.

About SALUTE

SALUTE is the only national honor society that recognizes and honors the service and scholastic achievements of student veterans. Standards for election to SALUTE are extremely high. In joining, you become part of a highly academic achieving distinguished group. Members inducted into SALUTE represent every segment of the military.

Service – Academics – Leadership – Unity – Tribute – Excellence

History of SALUTE and Core Values

To SALUTE is to acknowledge, congratulate, pay respects, and recognize. These terms are synonymous with how SALUTE National Honor Society who display courage, strength, leadership, excellence, and perseverance through their military endeavors and are now showing that same commitment to their academic success.

Salute

The students inducted into SALUTE represent every segment of the military. Members include retirees, disabled veterans, active-duty military, National Guard and reservists in higher education who seek to make a difference around the world and the community.

SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society

Membership Benefits

  • One-time payment for a lifetime membership (pd by VC).
  • A certificate and military-style challenge coin commemorating membership in SALUTE.
  • Eligible to compete for national scholarships.
  • Enhance your resume with formal academic acknowledgement and engage in local leadership positions.
  • Opportunities to network, receive & give assistance to fellow student veteran members.
  • Wear SALUTE Honor's regalia that reflect academic achievements as a veteran at graduation.
  • Participate in local and national SALUTE programs.

SALUTE Membership Eligibility

  • Qualify as military or veteran student.
  • Have served or currently be serving in the Military, National Guard, or Reserves.
  • If no longer serving, have been honorably discharged from service.
  • Have a minimum GPA of 3.0. (*see tier GPA levels below)
  • Be currently enrolled; minimum of 12 credit hours of college-level courses for undergraduates.
  • Graduate Students: Inducted graduate students will be classified as SALUTE Gold Members. To qualify as a Gold Member, the student must have completed 9 semester/quarter hours of graduate work or the equivalent, and must have at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA. There are no tier levels for grad students.

Tier Level System

The unique element of this honor society includes a four-tier system for undergraduate-level coursework, designed to encourage veterans to strive to improve their GPAs and advance to higher tier levels in the honor society during their undergraduate academic careers. Grade Point averages may not be rounded. Higher tier levels receive opportunities for greater scholarship money and receive updated materials for individual certificates, along with a personalized letter of recommendation from SALUTE National.

  • Alpha Tier GPA: grade point average between 3.75 - 4.00
  • Bravo Tier GPA: grade point average between 3.50 - 3.74
  • Charlie Tier GPA: grade point average between 3.25 - 3.49
  • Delta Tier GPA: grade point average between 3.00 - 3.24

How To Apply

  1. Contact elizabeth_vasquez9@vcccd.edu in the Veteran Resource Center.
  2. Ventura College will cover the cost of the $35 application fee.
  3. Your Unofficial Transcript and DD214 will be requested during the application process.
  4. Upon document verification, you will be added to the Ventura College Chapter, and your name will be sent to SALUTE National as an inductee!

Contact elizabeth_vasquez9@vcccd.edu at the VC SALUTE team for questions.

Upward Mobility

Moving up a tier: complete a Tier Appeal Petition Form and pay a $10 upgrade fee. You will be required to submit an updated unofficial transcript and completed Tier Appeal Petition Form to salute_national@mail.colostate.edu; or send a hard copy to the below address. As always, we do not need official transcripts. You can download unofficial transcripts, as needed, through your VC portal.

Induction Ceremony

Recognition ceremonies for SALUTE National Honor Society inductees and graduating student veterans are held in the Spring each year. Invitations to identified student veterans who meet the minimum requirements of 12 completed credit hours at Ventura College, and a minimum of 3.0 GPA will be sent in mid-February. If you are a veteran that is interested and meets this criteria, but has not received an invitation, please reach out to elizabeth_vasquez9@vcccd.edu.

SALUTE Scholarships

SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society Scholarships contains information pertaining to scholarship applications, required submission materials, and essay instructions. Essay topics change each application period. SALUTE National offers ten awards, two in each of the five GPA Tiers. There are two application windows each year, whereby monies are awarded for Fall and Spring. An individual may receive a SALUTE scholarship only once.

The 2024-2025 scholarship application window opened August 1, 2024, and closes on October 31, 2024. Winners will be announced at the NAVPA conference in October 2024 and paid to recipients in the Spring semester. The application window for scholarship monies that will be paid to recipients for the Fall 2025 semester will open in Summer 2025 (date TBD).

Awards will be distributed for each GPA Tier in the following amounts:

  • GOLD: $1500 (2 Awards)
  • ALPHA: $1000 (2 Awards)
  • BRAVO: $800 (2 Awards)
  • CHARLIE: $600 (2 Awards)
  • DELTA: $400 (2 Awards)

Note: Incomplete applications will not be considered; if there is not a viable candidate, no award will be given. Winners will be asked for a picture and biography, along with a thank you letter.


Proud Recipient Members

Election of our students to the Veterans National Honor Society of SALUTE is our commitment bestowed upon you for your excellent academic record and service to our country.

*Each semester upon award, photos of all recipients will be shown below with their majors, GPAS, Honor Society Tier levels, and military branches.*