Patriot’s Path will help military members, veterans achieve education goals

Helping those who have served or are serving in our military achieve their education goals is the focus of a new program launched by the Florida College System Council of Presidents.

Patriot’s Path will provide veterans, military members and their families with the most accessible and affordable education options. Seminole State College of Florida and the other 27 institutions in the Florida College System will have services and programs that reflect community needs including:

• Waive out-of-state tuition fees for affordability
• Obtain credit for skills and knowledge gained in the military to accelerate workforce entry
• Help veterans navigate their path through the process of their education benefits
• Provide career center access for employment information and workforce assistance

 

Florida has the third-largest veteran population in the nation, with more than 1.5 million veterans, 20,000 of which are currently enrolled in the Florida College System.

“Florida is fortunate to have a large veteran population, and we are proud to be one of the most veteran-friendly states in the nation,” said Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran. “I applaud the Florida College System’s Council of Presidents for creating the Patriot's Path program to ensure our veterans have a high-quality, low-cost route to earn a degree or industry credential that leads to high-demand, high-wage careers. Under Governor DeSantis’ bold leadership, Florida is well on the way to becoming the best state in the nation for all students to receive a world-class education."

Seminole State serves nearly 1,000 veterans and their dependents each year and has Veterans Affairs offices on three campuses to help students secure, interpret and exercise their education benefits. In 2018, the College was designated as a premier “Purple Heart Institution” by the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) in recognition of its support of military members, including veterans and their families. Seminole State also was honored with the Department of Defense (DOD) Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Above and Beyond Award in 2019 for its efforts in protecting servicemembers' and veterans' civilian employment rights.  

The focus of Patriot’s Path is to ensure that members of the military have the greatest accessibility possible to earn their higher education credentials as they transition into civilian life.