UAFS earns silver designation as 2025-26 Military Friendly School
FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (UAFS) announces it has earned a silver designation as a 2025-26 Military Friendly School on April 8.
To earn the Military Friendly School designation, academic institutions must be evaluated using public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey.
'Military Friendly is committed to transparency and providing consistent data-driven standards in our designation process,' VP of Military Friendly Kayla Lopez said. 'Our standards provide a benchmark that promotes positive outcomes and support services that better the educational landscape and provide opportunity for the Military Community.'
UAFS competed against more than 1,800 academic institution participants in the 2025-26 survey. Lopez said, 'Schools who achieve awards designation show true commitment in their efforts, exceeding the standard.'
University of Arkansas, UAFS among schools receiving combined $27M in HIRED program grants
Final ratings are determined by combining the institution's survey score with the assessment of the institution's capability in meeting the standards below for all students:
Student Retention
Graduation
Job Placement
Loan Payment
Persistence (Degree Advancement or Transfer)
Loan Default Rates
'Being Military Friendly reflects our unwavering commitment to supporting service members, veterans and their families by providing opportunities, resources and a welcoming community,' financial aid advisor and VA certifying official for UAFS Heather Chance said. 'Those who have served deserve the best, and we take pride in creating an environment where they can thrive.'
All UAFS veteran students receive priority registration, connections to advisors specialized in veteran services, and full-time access to both VA vocational rehabilitation counselors and the UAFS Veteran Resource Center. Student veterans can also join the Student Veterans Organization for further support in achieving academic success and advocacy.
For those in need of additional resources, UAFS will be hosting the Veterans Resource Fair on April 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center. No reservations are required.
For more information about UAFS' student veteran programs, visit its website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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How to improve your credit score for a mortgage
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Type of Loan Minimum Credit Score Conventional 620 Jumbo 700 FHA 580 (or 500 with 10 percent down) VA 620 (VA doesn't require a minimum credit score, but lenders do) USDA 640 While it's crucial to meet the minimum requirements, it's best to have the highest credit score possible before you apply for a mortgage. In fact, the average credit score for a borrower getting a purchase loan is 737, according to April 2025 data from mortgage technology provider Optimal Blue. Check your credit reports and scores Pay all your bills on time Reduce your credit card balances Ask for a credit limit increase Avoid opening new accounts Get help from a responsible credit user Consider credit counseling Get a copy of your credit report from each major credit bureau — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion — through These reports supply the information that's used to create your credit scores. Make sure there are no mistakes, especially regarding late payments or closed accounts. If there is an error, contact the bureau to dispute it as soon as possible. One of the most important ways to improve your credit is to keep all your accounts in good standing. Missing a payment can lower your credit score, and late payments can stay on your report for up to seven years. If you're currently late on a payment but still within the grace period, contact the creditor right away to address the situation. If you do have a late payment on your record, strive to make payments on time moving forward. Your credit utilization ratio is the amount you owe compared to your total available credit, and it accounts for 30 percent of your score. The lower the ratio, the better. As a rule of thumb, if your utilization is more than 30 percent, try to pay down those balances until you're under that threshold. On the flip side, if you typically pay off your balances each month, but find that you're often close to maxing out your cards, ask your providers for credit limit increases. 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Home loans and other debt that can increase your net worth in the long term are considered good. Credit card debt and other revolving accounts that aren't related to a valuable asset are more likely to decrease your FICO score. The higher your credit score, the better chance you'll have of being approved for a mortgage and the better your mortgage rate is likely to be. This is because lenders want to ensure you'll repay the owed amount, and your credit score helps them determine how reliably you've repaid credit balances in the past. Even a small difference in your mortgage rate affects your monthly payment and overall loan cost. For example, using Bankrate's mortgage calculator, let's say you buy a $300,000 house with a 6.875 percent fixed rate and put 3 percent down. Your monthly payment would be about $2,176. If you had a 7 percent fixed rate, your monthly payment would be $2,200. While the difference looks small at first, over the course of a 30-year mortgage, you'd save over $8,000 with the lower rate. Improving your credit and saving for a down payment are two of the biggest steps in getting ready to buy a home. Next, you'll need to: Organize your financial documentation. Your lender will want evidence of your assets and obligations, including pay stubs, tax returns and statements from bank and other financial accounts for you and any co-borrowers. Shop around for a loan. Apply for preapproval with at least three lenders in order to get the best rate and terms possible on your mortgage. Have an offer accepted on a house. Once you've found a house you like and had an offer accepted, you can choose a lender and go through the process of officially applying for a mortgage. Go through the underwriting process. After your lender receives your application, it will evaluate all of your financial information in order to decide whether to give your loan final approval. Close on the home. If your application is accepted, you'll sign the final paperwork to take ownership of the property and pay closing costs. To get the full details on the mortgage process, read our guide on how to get a mortgage. How quickly can you improve your credit score?If you want to improve your credit score fast, pay down your current debt and avoid opening new accounts. If you can increase your credit limits on card accounts, that can help within a month or so, too — it improves the credit utilization ratio from the opposite end. Keep in mind that, while items like a missed payment or bankruptcy will stay on your credit report for up to seven years, the impact decreases after a few years. Can you get a mortgage with bad credit?It's still possible to get a mortgage with bad credit. 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