Nine Florida universities have earned the distinction of Purple Star Campuses, which recognizes colleges that demonstrate a commitment to supporting military students and their families.
FAMU, Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, Florida State University, UCF, University of Florida, University of North Florida, University of South Florida and University of West Florida are the Purple Star Campuses in Florida.
These schools provide priority course registration, a military liaison, resources for military students and families, and student-led transition programs.
Billy Francis, is the director of FSU’s Student Veterans Center. He said that distinction and these resources mean everything to veterans and their families on campus.
“And so the beauty of the Purple Star is that it's verified by the state. And the universities that receive that designation have to prove through their actions that they are getting up every day to walk through you know the experience, the higher education experience of the military and veteran students, not just in words, but in deeds,” said Francis.
Francis said these supports are needed because military students have such a different lived experience from their civilian counterparts. At FSU, the average age of veterans on campus is 34.
“In terms of the experience you may have, you may have been overseas, you may have been in leadership positions. You've been responsible, typically, for millions of dollars worth of equipment. You've been taught to think on your feet,” said Francis.
Francis said these students face a range of challenges and barriers to success, including navigating GI Bill benefits, VA medical benefits and the university's administration.
The team of eight at the Veterans Center at FSU, and at Purple Star Campuses throughout the state, are there to help navigate these challenges and set students up for success.
UCF is also a Purple Star Campus. Andrea Guzmán is the Vice President for Access and Community Engagement at UCF, which also includes the Military and Veteran Student Success office on campus.
Guzmán said they offer military students, veterans and their families a number of resources.
“We do this through a specialized and tailored military veterans orientation session. We also offer a host of career readiness programs, everything from job shadowing to resume critiquing, networking opportunities. We have partnerships with some of the local corporations such as Lockheed Martin and Disney, who provide mentorship to our veterans and that help prepare them for future careers,” said Guzmán.
UCF even provides Family Fun Days not only for veterans, but for their children and spouses, and academic coaching and financial wellness programs for families.
But Guzmán said it doesn’t stop there.
“From ensuring that our faculty and staff receive professional development on how to best support our veterans in the classroom, to developing unique and different extracurricular programming for our students. We're working on creating alternative health and wellness programs for veterans, and we have the capability for them to meet with their VA officers within our Student Success Center so that it cuts back on stress and travel time. We even provide meal stipends for our veterans and gap scholarships for those who may have food insecurities or some financial challenges,” said Guzmán.
The Purple Star Campus program began in 2023.
More than 15,000 service members, veterans, and their families are enrolled throughout the State University System of Florida.
According to the State University of Florida, the following initiatives are offered at public universities and colleges in Florida to active military, veterans and their families:
- Guaranteeing military service members receive uniform postsecondary college credit based upon the military courses, training and occupations they have completed.
- Establishing the Free Seat Program to encourage veterans and active duty members to enroll in online baccalaureate degree programs by waiving the tuition and fees for the first term of their program.
- Providing priority course registration for veterans who are receiving GI Bill educational benefits.
- Waiving out-of-state fees for honorably discharged veterans who physically reside in Florida while enrolled at a university and for active duty members residing or stationed out of the state.
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