Veteran-Friendly Campus – Supports and Programs
In February 2021, the University of Alberta began a two-year Veteran-Friendly Campus (VFC) pilot program with funding from the Government of Alberta. As we welcome veterans to study here and encourage current students to declare their veteran status, we are working to develop the services and supports you need most.
Foundational to your student experience is transition support to help you adjust to student life, featuring:
- Prior learning assessments
- Veteran student mentorship program
- Veterans’ study groups
- Mental health resources
- Specialized occupational therapy support
- Housing and financial advising
- Academic skills support
- Veterans resource hub and gathering centre where you and your peers can meet.
Frequently Asked Questions
In 2017, the Government of Canada announced a Veterans Education and Training Benefit (ETB) for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) veterans, allocating $133.9 million over 6 years.
This benefit is intended to support the often challenging military-to-civilian transition, by providing unrestricted support to CAF veterans toward the cost of college, university, or technical education.
- You must have been honourably released from the Canadian Armed Forces (Regular Forces or Reserves) on or after April 1, 2006.
- You must have served for a minimum of six years.
- The value of the benefit will vary depending on your length of service: $40,000 for at least six years of service and $80,000 for at least 12 years of service.
Veterans are eligible to apply for any programs offered by the U of A. Admissions requirements and application deadlines vary by program. Career counselling is available through the VAC
Career and Transition Services.
A VFC Navigator will be hired by the U of A in the Spring of 2021. This individual can refer
veterans to the VFC support team within the U of A to explore programs and discuss eligibility. In the meantime, Student Connect can help with any questions related to admissions,
programs, and eligibility.
The Office of the Dean of Students and HiMARC (Heroes in Mind Advocacy and Research
Consortium) are collaborating on a two-year pilot program called “Veteran-Friendly Campus.”
With this project, the U of A will be the first post-secondary institution in Alberta to offer a VFC program that meets the unique needs of veterans and is aimed at ensuring their academic success. One outcome of the pilot program is to create a model that can be replicated and implemented at other post-secondary institutions across Alberta.
include academic support, health and wellness services. Veteran-specific resources will be available to prospective and registered students starting in the 2021-22 academic year, with additional programming and resources to be integrated over time.
Students