Student Veteran Information

IMPORTANT NOTE: All policies outlined in this General Bulletin apply to every university student who matriculates during the fall, spring, or summer semester of the academic year covered herein. The policies outlined below, however, are specific to student veterans, military students, and/or veteran/military dependents. Please familiarize yourself with this Bulletin in its entirety, and refer to the “Student Services,” “Academic Regulations,” and “Financial Information” chapters for a complete reading of policies and procedures pertaining to those areas. You are responsible for understanding not only the portions of this Bulletin pertaining to veteran/military/dependent students, but all of the policies and procedures that might pertain to you outside of your specific student designation.

Student Veterans Center

The Florida State University Student Veterans Center (SVC) provides programs and services designed to enhance the retention, graduation, and career-placement rates of student veterans, active-military students, and veteran/military dependents. SVC services include assistance with and certification of educational benefits provided through the departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Defense. In addition, the SVC conducts the breakout orientation sessions (and offers an online orientation) for these students, as well as a one hour/week course each Fall and Spring semester called Strategies for Veteran Success (SLS 3407). The SVC also coordinates the dozens of Veteran Liaisons (https://veterans.fsu.edu/resources/veteran-liaisons) who are available for advice and assistance in academic and administrative units throughout campus. For more information, please visit A4300 University Center, call (850) 644-9562, fax (850) 645-9868, e-mail veteran@fsu.edu, or go to https://veterans.fsu.edu/.

Priority Registration

Priority course registration for an upcoming semester is available to active-military students, student veterans, and military/veteran dependents who have made prior contact with the Student Veterans Center by self-identifying (as one of these types of students) or by submitting an FSU Request for Benefits form. However, priority registration is not available to these students if they are registering for classes for the first time (as either freshmen, transfer students or graduate students). In other words, the priority registration policy takes effect when the course-registration window opens for these students' second semester of classes. Any student who chooses to use VA education benefits must submit to the Student Veterans Center the required form(s) and supporting documentation.

Note that Section 303 of Public Law 115-48 requires the federal Department of Veterans Affairs to publicly report if a school offers priority course registration (or enrollment) to veteran/military students. In addition, Florida law 1004.075 requires public universities to offer priority course registration to veteran/military/dependent students who are using G.I. Bill® benefits, until these benefits expire. Florida State University exceeds this state law by offering priority course registration, until the time they graduate, to all veteran/military students – including those not using G.I. Bill® benefits – and veteran/military dependents (if dependents have used G.I. Bill® benefits during part of their time at FSU).

Military Short-Term Absence or Call to Active Duty

The University recognizes and appreciates the important contributions made by active duty service members, Reserve and National Guard members, and their dependents. To accommodate these students, University faculty and staff will provide them with the following options pertaining to unexpected training/drill, deployment, or change-of-station orders:

Students affected by training/drill, deployment, or change-of-station orders must attempt to make arrangements with their instructors to maintain and/or make up classwork as needed. Registration for courses in which instructors accommodate the absence will remain unchanged and tuition and mandatory fees will be assessed in full for those courses. Military service members should provide instructors with maximum advance notice of absences, as well as copies of training/drill, deployment, and/or change-of-station directives from their branch of service, Reserve, or National Guard units.

Instructors will work with students wherever possible to assign grades as appropriate (including incompletes to be made up later). Instructors must accommodate absences of up to two weeks in duration (or equivalent in Summer) in accordance with the preceding paragraph.

When unable to make satisfactory arrangements with all instructors, courses will be dropped and the tuition and mandatory fees for those courses will be rescinded. When a student withdraws due to receiving orders for a period of service, FSU will refund payments made by the student, or on behalf of the student, for on-campus housing rent charges.

When unable to make arrangements with any instructors for unexpected orders requiring longer than a two-week absence, the student's entire registration will be withdrawn or cancelled and 100% of the tuition and mandatory fees will be rescinded.

Tuition Waivers – Military Veterans, Service Members, and Their Dependents

An out-of-state tuition waiver is offered to FSU students physically residing in Florida who are current or former members of the U.S. Armed Services – including honorably discharged veterans, and members of the Reserve or National Guard – as well as eligible veteran/military dependents who are using certain federal Veterans Affairs educational benefits. The out-of-state tuition waiver is also extended to active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Services who are stationed or reside outside the state of Florida.

In accordance with Public Law 115-251, students using VA educational benefits must also submit a written request for an out-of-state tuition waiver to the FSU Student Veterans Center. In addition, these students must provide the SVC with their Certificate of Eligibility prior to the tuition-payment deadline each semester.

Contact the FSU Student Veterans Center for additional information on out-of-state tuition waivers and their requirements.

Military Credit

Current and former members of the U.S. Armed Services may receive college credit for certain military experience, training, or coursework. Undergraduate and/or graduate-level academic credit acquired while in the military is awarded only if that credit is recognized by the American Council on Education (ACE) Guide to the Evaluation of Education Experiences in the Armed Services. Undergraduate students may reference the Florida pre-approved military course-equivalency list on the Admissions website at https://admissions.fsu.edu/first-year/credit/military for recognized credits. Graduate courses are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Credits earned are evaluated after the application review process is completed and admission to the university is granted. The Audit and Evaluation Section of the Office of the University Registrar will post all credit earned for military experience, training, or coursework as recommended in the ACE Guide or the undergraduate course-equivalency list available on the Admissions website.

Notes: ACE recommendations for vocational or technical credit are not accepted as transfer credit.
Academic credit earned through the Community College of the Air Force is evaluated through the standard transcript-review process.

Deferments and Financial Arrangements

Students using VA education benefits who are entitled to an additional monthly stipend from the federal government should be aware that the first of these stipend payments is sometimes delayed. Therefore, students should be prepared to meet all their expenses for the first two months.

Any time there is a delay in the receipt of VA educational benefits, students using these benefits to cover tuition and health fees can defer (postpone) their payment in accordance with Florida law 1009.27(2). FSU extends these deferments automatically, provided a student using VA educational benefits has submitted their Request for Benefits form to the Student Veterans Center. Students using all other types of military-connected benefits, however, must explicitly request a deferment through Student Finance by the fifth day of the semester, provided all required documents (military Tuition Assistance and third-party billing forms) have been submitted to Student Finance. Any requests submitted after the fee-payment deadline for the term will be assessed a $100 late-payment fee. Students receiving deferments who have other types of financial aid pending will have their tuition paid by that financial aid and their veterans deferment nullified.

With certain exceptions (see the next paragraph), students who receive a veteran deferment but whose tuition is still not paid by the deferment expiration date will be assessed a $100.00 late payment fee and may have their course schedule cancelled. Moreover, such students may not be eligible to receive a veteran deferment in the future. (Note also that course registrations, transcripts, or diplomas will not be processed until all university debts are paid in full.)

In accordance with Public Law 115-407, students using VA educational benefit Chapters 31 and 33 are protected from portions of the above policy, but only after these students provide additional documents to the FSU Student Veterans Center. The protection starts when a Chapter 31/33 student submits their Request for Benefits form, or their Certificate of Eligibility, or a Statement of Benefits, or their Chapter 31 authorization. The protection ends when the VA makes payment or 90 days after the date FSU certifies the tuition and fees.

Return of Military Tuition Assistance Funds Due to Withdrawal

Florida State University will return any unearned tuition assistance (TA) funds to the respective military service branch on a prorated basis through at least 60 percent of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending. Questions concerning return of funds may be emailed to CTL-TPC@fsu.edu.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Approved Facilities

Branch Campus Locations

Off-Campus Instructional Locations

Overseas Locations