Military & Veterans
We want to ease the transition from military life to college life. The University of West Florida ranks 5th in the nation on the 2018 Military Friendly® Schools list for large public institutions. This is the 11th consecutive year that the University of West Florida has been named a Military Friendly® School. The University of West Florida welcomes U.S. military service members and veterans, their spouses and their dependent children.
We have a full-time VetSuccess on Campus (VSOC) counselor who will assist you with all of your military educational benefit needs. The VSOC can help you discover various benefits available through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Through our Education and Career Counseling Program, you can also receive personalized support to help you get on the right path to achieve your goals.
Military and Veterans Educational Benefits
- Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty (Chapter 30)
- Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606)
- Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Chapter 31)
- Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)
- Dependents’ Educational Assistance (Chapter 35)
- Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship
Overview of the GI Bill®
Those who are serving active duty in the U.S. military or are veterans can receive educational benefits from the VA. Now known as the Forever GI Bill, the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 had significant changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
The Forever GI Bill features:
- Increased benefit levels
- No more 15-year time limit for using benefits if discharged after Jan. 1, 2013
- National Guard and Reserve members can receive Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits
- For up to 36 months, military members who received a Purple Heart on or after Sept. 11, 2001, can receive Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits at the 100 % level
- Purple Heart and Fry Scholarship recipients are eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program
- Active duty members are eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program, effective Aug. 1, 2022
Yellow Ribbon Program
The Yellow Ribbon Program provides educational benefits to eligible U.S. military members and veterans who have served since Sept. 10, 2001. The payments received through the program can be applied to tuition and fees and includes a books and supplies stipend. A proud participant of the Yellow Ribbon Program, UWF has agreed to match benefits with the VA to help military students pay for their education.
GI Bill Educational Benefits Eligibility
To receive educational benefits through the GI Bill, you must meet certain criteria.
- Be a veteran who served at least 30 days of continuous active duty service after Sept. 10, 2001, and be discharged because of a service-connected disability or have served 90 days of active duty after Sept. 10, 2001, and received honorable discharge
- Have received a Purple Heart or Fry Scholarship
- Are serving in the National Guard or Reserve
How Military Educational Benefits Work
| Full-Time Tuition | 100% |
| Post-9/11 GI Bill Academic Year Cap | 35% |
| Remaining Balance | 65% |
| Yellow Ribbon Program | 32.5% |
| UWF’s Yellow Ribbon Program Match | 32.5% |
| Final Balance | 0% |
| Full-Time Tuition | 100% |
| Post-9/11 GI Bill Academic Year Cap | 82% |
| Remaining Balance | 18% |
| Yellow Ribbon Program | 9% |
| UWF’s Yellow Ribbon Program Match | 9% |
| Final Balance | 0% |
Military Credit
You may be able to apply credits from military training (including basic training) toward your online degree program. To do so, request a copy of your Joint Services Transcript to be sent to UWF. If you are in the U.S. Air Force, contact the Community College of the Air Force to request your transcripts.
Additional Resources
For information about military educational benefits, you may visit some of these links.