Military

UF Online is part of that tradition of service and support to the U.S. Military. Our fully online programs allow military students to succeed no matter where their orders take them. Along the way we’re sure current UF Online military students will run into Military Gators wherever they are.

The University of Florida has a long and proud history of supporting students from all branches of the military. This is evidenced by UF being ranked No. 1 for Best Online Programs for Veterans in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report.

While enrolled as a student, there are a variety of departments specifically tasked with serving our military population. They include:

• Office of Student Veteran Services
• Collegiate Veterans Success Center
• Collegiate Veterans Society

Additionally, there are a variety of programs and services military students can take advantage of to cover their educational costs. The programs listed here are the ones most often applicable to UF Online students.

Admissions

Freshman military applicants must meet all UF Online freshman admissions requirements.

Lower division transfer military applicants must meet all UF Online lower division transfer admissions requirements.

Upper division transfer military applicants must meet all UF Online upper-division transfer admissions requirements.

Second bachelor’s degree seeking military applicants must meet all UF Online second bachelor’s degree seeking admissions requirements.

Florida Residency Classification

Section(s.) 1009.21 of Florida Statutes allows for active duty members of the US Armed Forces to be classified as a Florida Resident for Tuition Purposes under certain circumstances. These circumstances include:

• Active duty members of the Armed Services of the United States residing or stationed in Florida (and spouse/dependent children);
• Active drilling members of the Florida National Guard; or
• Military personnel not stationed in Florida whose home of record or state of legal residence certificate, DD Form 2058, is Florida (and spouse/dependent children).

Required evidence: Copy of military orders, home of record, or DD2058. Copy of marriage certificate for a spouse or IRS 1040 for a dependent child.

This documentation can be submitted to the UF Online OneStop during the application process for verification.

Out-of-State Fee Waiver

If you do not fall into the above categories, you may instead qualify for an out-of-state fee waiver in accordance to Florida Statute 1009.26(13) and (14). Under this statute, out-of-state fees shall be waived for persons who meet one of the following three conditions.

• Honorably discharged veteran of the United States Armed Forces, the United States Reserve Forces, or the National Guard who physically resides in the state of Florida while enrolled in the institution.
• Student who is entitled to and uses educational assistance provided by the United States Armed Forces, United States Reserve Forces, or the National Guard who:
  • Physically resides in the state of Florida while enrolled in the institution (Note: Must acknowledge the waiver will not be granted once VA benefits are exhausted or for any term you do not elect to utilize VA benefits.)
• Active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States residing or stationed outside of Florida.

Admitted Students can complete the required waiver form and submit it along with the required documentation directly to the UF Office of Veteran Services for processing. For questions regarding this waiver, please contact the UF Office of Veteran Services at 352-294-2948 or military-benefits@ufl.edu.

Yellow Ribbon Program

The University of Florida participates in the Yellow Ribbon program for eligible Post 9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The Yellow Ribbon program is a provision of the Post 9/11 GI Bill® to help with the cost of out-of-state tuition fees. Applications will be accepted on a first come-first served basis.

To apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program, visit the University of Florida’s Student Veteran Services website and complete the provided application.

For more information, contact UF Student Veteran Services at (352) 294-2948 or by email at military-benefits@ufl.edu.

Tuition Assistance

You can currently receive 100% federal Tuition Assistance from military service, with a $250 cap per semester hour and a $4,500 annual limit. TA is not a loan; it should be viewed as money you have earned just like your base pay. To obtain federal military Tuition Assistance, you need to visit your installation’s education office in order to receive college counseling and develop an education plan. From that point, you can submit a military Tuition Assistance request.

UF follows Federal Student Aid Handbook (Volume 2, Chapter 3) for active duty members. For more information about your branch of service’s TA program, choose your branch below.

• United States Air Force
• United States Army
• United States Coast Guard
• United States Marine Corps
• United States Navy

If you are an admitted UF Online Student and are trying to submit your approved Tuition Assistance vouchers, please contact the UF Online OneStop here or at 352-294-3290 for more information.

GI Bill^®

There are currently six different GI Bill® programs administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Payment rates and eligibility requirements can be found on the GI Bill® website.

Post 9-11 GI Bill^®

To be eligible for the Post 9-11 GI Bill® you must have served for at least 90 days after 9-11-2001. For 100% of the benefit you must have served for a minimum of 3 years after 9-11-2001. You must be on active duty in order to transfer the benefit to a dependent child or spouse.

The maximum amount of months of benefits you may use for the Post 9-11 GI Bill® is 36 months. If you have previously used the Montgomery or other GI Bills®, your eligible months for Post 9-11 GI Bill® could be reduced. Careful attention should be paid when switching from the Montgomery to the Post 9-11 GI Bill®. Below there are three scenarios outlined:

1. If you exhaust all 36 months of the Montgomery GI Bill® then you may be eligible for an additional 12 months of Post 9-11 for a total of 48 months of benefits.
2. If you switch from Montgomery to Post 9-11 before exhausting all 36 months of the Montgomery, your Post 9-11 eligibility will be the difference between 36 months, and the number of months you used under the Montgomery GI Bill®.
3. If you have never used the Montgomery GI Bill®, you may elect to use the Post 9-11 GI Bill® for a total of 36 months, but may never go back to the Montgomery GI Bill®.

Since the creation of the Post 9-11 GI Bill® many opportunities have been created for veterans to pursue graduate studies. Effective August 1st 2011, the VA will pay all the tuition and fees for graduate and undergraduate programs at the in-state resident rate at a public institution. This means that if you are eligible for 100% of the Post 9-11 GI Bill® benefit and a resident of the State of Florida, the VA will pay the entire cost of any program you pursue at the University of Florida.

Additionally, you may be eligible to receive a monthly BAH stipend depending on your enrollment level and type of enrollment. Generally speaking, if you are considered a full time student who attends at least one course on campus, you may receive up to $1,427 per month. If you are a full time student pursuing a degree program entirely through online courses you may be eligible to receive up to $840.50 per month. If you are enrolled at a level less than full time you may receive a prorated BAH stipend.

To apply for benefits you should visit the VA’s website.

Credit for Military Service

The University of Florida may award UF credit for military experience and/or coursework to admitted students. The type and amount of credit awarded depends on the veteran’s record. Most credit will only count toward electives.

If your credit is from military coursework reported on either a Joint Services Transcript or a Community College of the Air Force transcript, then you will need to submit an official transcript to UF to be reviewed. Most military coursework is vocational and not applicable toward a UF degree so it is not added automatically. However, after being admitted you can work with your academic advisor to determine whether any credit should be added and used toward your degree. For information regarding ordering your military transcripts, please reference the website for the American Council on Education.

If you are interested in receiving credit for military experience that is not reported on a transcript, please contact the UF Office of Veteran Services at 352-294-2948 or military-benefits@ufl.edu. After admission, they can conduct an evaluation to determine whether credit can be awarded from your experience and they will need a copy of your DD-214.

Withdrawal Due to Military Service

Per Florida Statute 1004.07, any student enrolled in a postsecondary course or courses at a state university shall not incur academic or financial penalties by virtue of performing military service on behalf of our country. These students shall be permitted the option of completing the course(s) at a later date without penalty or withdrawing from the course(s) with a full refund of fees paid. (Refer to refund of fees information in the fees and fiscal section.) If the student chooses to withdraw, the record shall reflect that the withdrawal is due to active military service.

To see the full withdrawal and policies at the University of Florida, please visit the undergraduate catalog dropping courses and withdrawals section.

Free Seat Program

The Free Seat Program was created to encourage veterans, active duty members of the United States Armed Forces, active drilling members of the Florida National Guard, and nontraditional students to enroll in an online baccalaureate degree program at a state university.

The tuition and fees for one online baccalaureate course will be waived in the first term in which the student participates in the Free Seat Program. After the one-time waiver, the standard UF Online tuition and fees will apply for all subsequent courses.

Learn more about the Free Seat Program 

Have More Questions?

For more detailed information on benefits for current and former members of the US Armed Services, please visit the UF Department of Veteran Services website. Additionally, you can contact the University of Florida Office of Veterans Services directly at:

UF Veteran Support Services
222 Criser Hall
P. O. Box 114000
Gainesville, FL 32611-4000

Phone: 352-294-2948
Fax: 352-846-2872
Email: military-benefits@ufl.edu
Webpage: veterans.ufl.edu

The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday (Eastern Standard Time).

UF Online Application Deadlines

Final decisions are rendered on a rolling basis.

Your UF Online application and application fee are valid for one academic year. If you apply for one term and your timeline changes, we can easily roll your application to a future term. To learn more about the admissions process, click here.

Note: The deadlines above are for students planning to enroll in one of the fully-online degrees offered through UF Online. If you are looking for the application deadlines for UF’s face-to-face programs, visit the UF Office of Admissions website.

Application Process for Military Students

The application process is simple and straightforward. It will take about 30 minutes to complete your application. If you need to take a break for any reason, you can save it and return to complete the application later. For ease of completion, be sure to have your high school transcripts and previous college information available.