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Policies, Waivers, Residency, Financial Aid and Other Resources

VA & DoD Policies

Required VA Policies 

Certificate of Eligibility (COE) Required for VA Enrollment Certification 

A Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is a letter you receive from the VA stating what educational benefit you are eligible to receive. 

How do I apply? 

You can apply online right now. Just answer a few questions, and the VA will help you get started with the education benefits form that's right for you. Select the drop-down menu "Apply for education benefits" and answer the questions as they pertain to you. The VA will then provide the appropriate application for the benefit you are eligible to receive. 

Once you receive your COE, we need a copy to be turned into University of North Florida Military and Veterans Resource Center. You may either drop by in-person, located in the Founders Hall, Building 2, Suite 1100 or email it to mvrc@unf.edu. 

Student Enrollment Verification: Isakson & Roe: Section 1010 

Educational Assistance recipients effective August 1, 2021, must verify their enrollment status each month to continue receiving their monthly housing allowance (BAH/MHA) and/or kicker payments. Students are asked to verify their enrollment status relative to what we have reported on your behalf. This is not attendance verification. 

Students can verify their enrollment status in one of two ways: 

  1. Text Messaging– Students who choose VA’s “Opt-In” feature will receive a text message each month prompting them to verify their enrollment status. 
  2. Telephone–Students may call the Education Call Center (ECC) at 888-442-4551 to verify their enrollment status. 
    1. If a student fails to verify for two consecutive months, the VA will withhold future BAH/MHA payments until they call the Educational Call Center (ECC) to verify. 

No Holds due to VA Late Payments-Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e) 

In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e), the University of North Florida adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Chapter 33 Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® or Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness & Employment-VR&E benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA. 

University of North Florida will not: 

  • Prevent the student’s enrollment. 
  • Assess a late penalty fee. 
  • Require students secure alternative or additional funding.  
  • Deny their access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.  
However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:  
  • Provide Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill® (CH33) Certificate of Eligibility (or its equivalent) or
  • Have a purchase order provided in Tungsten for Chapter 31 VA VR&E’s by the first day of class. 

Note:  Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill® students can get the equivalent of a Chapter 33 Certificate of Eligibility by logging into  va.gov and requesting a Statement of Benefits.  

Chapter 31 students must get with their VA VR&E case-manager to have a Purchase Order provided to the school, public safety (parking fees), and bookstore.  

  • Complete a Request for Benefits. 
  • Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies 

School Versus Student Debt: Isakson & Roe: Section 1019

Isakson & Roe: Section 1019 requires that schools and training programs be financially responsible, instead of the student, for benefits paid directly to an educational institution pursuant to the Post 9/11 GI Bill® for tuition and fees or the Yellow Ribbon program, under the Post 9/11 GI Bill®. (Authority 38 U.S.C 3685(b)) Effective January 5, 2021. 
  • If there is a change of enrollment which resulted in an over payment of tuition and fees, we will receive notification from the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
  • You will also receive notification from VA indicating the tuition and fee debt amount to be collected. 
  • The VA will not collect the tuition and fee debt from you. 
  • The VA will collect this amount from your school. 
  • In turn, we will require you to pay any outstanding balance for tuition and fees. The debt will be managed by our office. 
  • If you have questions about how to repay this debt, please call VA Debt Management Center toll-free at 1-800-827-0648. 

Required DoD Policies

Unearned Tuition Assistance (TA) Funds Return 

As a participant in the Department of Defense Voluntary Education Program the University of North Florida is required to return any unearned TA funds on a proportional basis through at least the 60% portion 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.  

Unearned TA funds that are returned to the appropriate military branch of service will become a debt that the student owes the university. This amount will be placed on the student’s account, and a hold will be placed on the student account preventing registration, grades and transcripts. If a student is eligible to receive a refund from the University for tuition and fees or other charges, the University will apply the refund against the debt that results from the unearned TA. 

Official Withdraw Date–The date the student officially withdrew from a course. 

Unofficial Withdraw Date–Students who stop attending and receive a combination of F, W, and I (Incomplete) grades, are considered to have unofficially withdrawn. UNF will use the last date of participation to determine if the service member completed at least 60% of the course. 

Return of Unearned TA Official Withdrawal Calculation–The calculation for Return of Unearned TA is based on the percent of TA Earned using the following formula, which mirrors the Federal Return of Title IV funds formula: 
(Number of days completed) / (Total days of course (start to end date)) = Percent of TA earned 
The TA return policy is also spelled out on the UNF: Agency/Third-Party Billing website.  

No High-Pressure Recruitment 

The University of North Florida (UNF) is committed to fair, transparent, and ethical recruitment practices. Veterans, service members, and their dependents will never be subject to high-pressure recruitment tactics at UNF. 

No UNF employee receives commissions, bonuses, or other incentives for securing student enrollments, including those of veterans and service members. 

High-pressure tactics—such as repeated unsolicited contacts (three or more by phone, email, or in person) or same-day recruitment and registration intended solely to secure enrollment—are strictly prohibited. 

If you feel pressured to enroll, please contact: 

City of Jacksonville Military Affairs and Veterans Department at 904.255.5524, or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at 888.442.4551. 

UNF is dedicated to supporting military-connected students with integrity and respect, ensuring that all admissions and recruitment processes reflect our commitment to student success. 

Standards of Academic Progress

Students using Veteran Affairs educational benefits will adhere to the University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.  

Please email any questions about these policies to mvrc@unf.edu. 

Waivers

Students may qualify for one of the following tuition waivers:

  • Florida Educational Expense Waiver for Active Duty Military Surviving Dependents/Spouses
  • Congressman C.W. "Bill" Young Waiver for Out-of-State Tuition 
  • Florida Purple Heart Recipients Tuition Waiver
  • Transcript Fee Waiver for Active Duty, Veterans, Their Spouses and Dependents

The Office of Student Financial Services process these waivers and more. 

Learn more about these waivers.

Residency Exemptions

Students may qualify for a residency for tuition purposes if they are:

  • Active-duty service members who live or are stationed in Florida—and their spouses and dependent children—qualify as Florida residents for tuition purposes. This also includes active drilling members of the Florida National Guard.
  • Service members (and their spouses/dependents) who are not stationed in Florida may still qualify if their home of record or legal residence is Florida. This must be shown on an approved DD Form 2058, a Leave and Earnings Statement (LES), or DFAS Form 702.
  • A person does not lose Florida residency just because they or their parent (if they are a dependent) are assigned outside the state for military service.
  • Active-duty service members and their spouses/dependents may also be classified as Florida residents if they attend a Florida public college or university within 50 miles of the base where they are stationed, as long as the base is in a county bordering Florida. 

Learn more about residency and exemptions.

FAFSA

Every student–regardless of VA educational benefits use–is encouraged to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).

Visit the StudentAid.gov website for more information regarding FAFSA® and veterans' education benefits.

UNF Scholarships

The Military and Veterans Resource Center offers several scholarships each year to support Ospreys in their academic goals. Scholarships are available for veterans, military dependents, and military spouses. Be sure to set up your Scholarship Universe account to match with opportunities. The MVRC currently offers: 

Art & Wendy Billingslea Military Spouse Scholarship

  • Criteria - Eligible students must:
    • meet admissions requirements and be accepted to the University of North Florida,
    • be the spouse of an active-duty member of the military and provide documentation to verify,
    • reside in Florida for tuition purposes,
    • enroll with at least six credit hours each semester,
    • be a junior or a senior, and
    • be selected by a committee chosen by the Director of the Military Veteran Resource Center.

Bernhardt Family Scholarship

  • Criteria - Eligible students must:
    • meet admission requirements and be accepted by the University of North Florida,
    • be a recipient of Chapter 35 Dependent Educational Assistance or be a Fry Scholar,
    • be enrolled and complete at least six hours each fall and spring semester,
    • demonstrate a GPA of at least 3.0, and
    • have declared a major in a STEM discipline.

Macquarie Veterans Scholarship

  • Criteria-Eligible students must:
    • meet any qualification(s) identified in the Purpose,
    • meet admissions requirements and be accepted to the University of North Florida,
    • reside in Florida for tuition purposes,
    • earn a minimum UNF GPA of at least 3.0,
    • major in finance or accounting,
    • demonstrate a military affiliation (be a veteran or be the immediate family member of a veteran)
    • and be a junior or senior, with preference going to students who are juniors.

 Marine Corporal Joshua C. Watkins Scholarship

  • Criteria - Eligible students must:
    • Meet admissions requirements and be accepted to the University of North Florida
    • Reside in Florida for tuition purposes,
    • Be active in the United States military, honorably discharged, a reservist, or a Participant in the ROTC program, and
    • Have a cumulative GPA of 2.5
  • Preference will be given in the follow order:
    • Marines, active duty, reservist or honorably discharged.
    • Students with any military service who are active duty, reservist or honorably discharged, or
    • ROTC students.

Melvin M. and Mary E. Mowbray Scholarship

  • Criteria - Eligible students must:
    • meet admissions requirements and be accepted to the University of North Florida,
    • reside in Florida for tuition purposes,
    • earn a minimum UNF recalculated high school GPA of at least 2.5,
    • first preference will be given to U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officers, enlisted personnel,
    • active duty or retired, or their dependents and second preference will be given to
    • other qualified candidates of any U. S. Armed Forces, enlisted member, active duty, or retired, or their dependents,
    • complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA),
    • demonstrate financial need as defined by the University's Office of Financial Aid,
    • and be selected by the UNF Military and Veterans Resource Center committee.

Moorer Family Navy Veteran Scholarship

  • Criteria - Eligible students must:
    • meet admissions requirements and be accepted to the University of North Florida,
    • be a United States Navy enlisted veteran, and
    • first preference will be given to United States Navy enlisted veterans who served a tour of duty aboard a naval aircraft carrier with responsibilities on the deck of the carrier.

Robert E. Jacoby Scholarship

  • Criteria - Eligible students must:
    • meet admissions requirements and be accepted to the University of North Florida,
    • reside in Florida for tuition purposes,
    • earn a minimum UNF recalculated high school GP A of at least 2.5,
    • be active in the United States military, honorably discharged, or a reservist,
    • complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA),
    • demonstrate financial need as defined by the University's Office of Financial Aid,
    • and be selected by the UNF Military and Veterans Resource Center Committee.

Roy L. Lassiter Memorial Scholarship

  • Criteria - Eligible students must:
    • meet admissions requirements and be accepted to the University of North Florida,
    • be a veteran of any branch of the United States military,
    • enroll full-time as an undergraduate student taking at least 12 credit hours per semester,
    • maintain a minimum GPA of at least 3.0,
    • complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA),
    • demonstrate financial need as defined by the University’s Office of Financial Aid, and
    • be selected by the UNF Military and Veterans Resource Center committee.

Thomas C. Hendrick Endowed Scholarship for Veterans

  • Criteria - Eligible students must:
    • meet admissions requirements and be accepted to the University of North Florida,
    • be a veteran,
    • have a GPA of at least 3.0,
    • demonstrate financial need as defined by the University's Office of Financial Aid,
    • complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and
    • preference will be given to students enrolled at the Coggin College of Business.

Weatherford/Harrison Memorial Endowed Scholarship

  • Criteria - Eligible students must:
    • Meet admissions requirements and be accepted to the University of North Florida
    • Reside in Florida for tuition purposes,
    • Be active in the United States military, honorably discharged, a reservist, or a Participant in the ROTC program, and
    • Have a cumulative GPA of 2.5
  • Preference will be given in the follow order:
    • Marines, active duty, reservist or honorably discharged.
    • Students with any military service who are active duty, reservist or honorably discharged, or
    • ROTC

UNF Scholarship Universe
Through the generosity of many individuals, alumni, local philanthropists, nonprofit organizations and corporations, the UNF Foundation has established merit and need-based scholarships for current students. Visit the UNF Foundation website

Other Scholarships

The following outside organizations offer scholarships for military-connected students:

Veterans:

Spouses and Dependents of Veterans:

Military-Connected Student Scholarship Search Engines:

Military-Connected Student Scholarship for Nursing Students:
VA Scholarship for STEM Majors:

Additional Resources

On Campus

Student Organizations

Enrollment & Records

Services

Off Campus

Federal/National Services

State Services

Local Services

Employment

External Military-Connected Employment Organizations