From Cammies to Campus: UF and Veterans

Posted: November 1, 2023

Veterans Day (November 11) makes this month a fitting occasion to salute our Grad Gators who are veterans or active-duty members of the United States Armed Forces.

It’s also an apt moment to spotlight how the University of Florida helps them translate military experience into civilian opportunity through higher education.

UF’s Number 6 ranking on the College Consensus 2023 list of top 100 military-friendly colleges and universities bears witness to its effective efforts to provide our nation’s defenders with higher education, professional development, and career advancement.

As military/veteran search engine College Recon notes, UF features…

• GI Bill® approved programs
• Yellow Ribbon graduate and undergraduate funding
• Tuition assistance
• Course credit for military experience
• Course credit for the CLEP (College Level Examination Program) Exam
• An SVA (Student Veterans of America) chapter

…as an institution committed to the 8 Keys to Veterans’ Success spearheaded by the U.S. Departments of Defense, Education, and Veterans Affairs.

Other noteworthy initiatives through which UF champions student veterans:

• The UF Office of Student Veteran Services serves as the liaison between veteran Gators and government agencies to make sure they get the most out of their Veterans Affairs (VA) educational benefits.
• The UF Collegiate Veterans Success Center houses dedicated space where veterans and active-duty military can study, socialize, and find on-campus and off-campus resources in an easygoing environment.
• UF hosts its own VetSuccess on Campus Counselor — an experienced vocational rehabilitation counselor who helps navigate VA benefits and more — as part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VetSuccess on Campus (VSOC) Program.
• The Veteran Students Career Community at the UF Career Connections Center offers customized resources and specialized events for veteran professional development and career planning.
• The UF Counseling and Wellness Center provides confidential counseling and other resources tailored to student veterans.
• The UF Collegiate Veterans Society brings together veterans and military-affiliated students amid the Gator Nation for social activities, charity events, peer-to-peer mentoring, and more.

Veterans and active-duty military form an important part of the Gator Nation — and UF stands ready, willing, and able to support them.

Did you know?

UF Veterans Day Lore: Iconic University of Florida landmark Century Tower (pictured left) — the chiming 157-foot centerpiece of the UF campus’ historic core — was built as a memorial to honor UF students and alumni who lost their lives in World War I and World War II military action. Begun in 1953 and completed in 1956, it houses a carillon of 61 bells that span five octaves and ring every quarter of the hour daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.