Undergraduate Admissions

Veteran and Military Personnel Admission

The University of Wisconsin–Madison assists eligible veterans, active duty service personnel, disabled veterans, reservists, National Guard Members, and dependents with state and federal education benefit programs.

We welcome applications from veterans and military personnel, and currently have more than 400 student veterans receiving education benefits at UW–Madison.

All veteran applicants must submit a complete application for admission. The application review process parallels that of other freshman and transfer applicants. Ultimately, student veterans are expected to cover required course work at a level of achievement similar to that noted on our general freshman and transfer admission requirements and expectation Web sites.

Our application deadlines are February 1 for the summer and fall terms and October 1 for the spring term. Applications received after these dates may be considered if the applicant’s circumstance warrants.

Applicants should also contact Student Veteran Services (SVS) in the Registrar’s Office to receive assistance with questions and paperwork. SVS is where you enroll for your GI Bill education benefits. Please note: Students must be admitted to the university in order to qualify for veteran education benefits.

Applying for Freshman Admission
If you are getting out of the service or have already separated from the service and have not yet taken any college courses, you should apply directly to the Office of Admissions. Review the Freshman Admission section of the Web site to learn more about expectations and deadlines.

It is important to note that veterans are expected to meet the minimum academic course preparation guidelines, including two years of the same foreign language and at least one year each of algebra, geometry, and advanced math. Veteran applicants must also submit results from either the ACT or SAT, including the standardized writing test if the applicant graduated from high school in the spring of 2006 or after.

Veterans who do not meet minimum freshman admission expectations and/or who did not have a successful high school career are encouraged to consider enrolling at one of the 13 UW Colleges freshman/sophomore campuses or another two-year community college with a liberal arts transfer program. Upon successfully completing at least 24 semester hours of appropriate college-level course work, student veterans may then apply for transfer admission to UW–Madison.

Applying for Transfer Admission
If you are a veteran and have previously taken college courses at another institution, you should apply as a transfer student. Review the Transfer Admission section of the Web site to learn more. You will need to have completed the following required course work to apply:

• Algebra: One year in high school
• Plane Geometry: One year in high school (cannot be modified, basic, or informal)
• College-Preparatory Math: One year in high school
• Single Foreign Language: Two years of the same language in high school or two semesters of the same language in college

Applying for Reentry Admission
Students who are deployed to active service while enrolled at UW–Madison and wish to return to the university following their active military duty do not need to reapply for admission. Activated students who wish to reenter the university should contact Student Veteran Services for more information.

Military Credit
We will accept credit for baccalaureate courses which apply to a UW–Madison degree. Credit awarded for occupational training will not be accepted. Please also note the following:

• Basic Training: Enrolling students who have completed Basic Training should submit their Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214) to the unit commander who will determine how transfer credit will be assigned (up to 6 credit hours)
• Community College of the Air Force (CCAF): Physical education courses may be accepted for transfer credit, but all other CCAF courses are occupational in nature and are not accepted
• College-Level Examination Program (CLEP): Credit is granted for an exam score of 75 when the examination was taken before the student completed 16 semester hours of college credit (review our CLEP Credit Guide for more details)
• DANTES Standardized Subject Tests (DSST): We do not award transfer credit for DSSTs
• Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC): We accept up to 16 credits for sequential courses in a foreign language (we do not award transfer credit for language courses of an applied or functional nature)
• Military Occupational Specialties (MOS): MOS courses, transcripted on AARTS or SMART transcripts, are occupational in nature and are not accepted for transfer credit

Financial Aid
Some veterans attending UW–Madison rely on sources of financial aid beyond that provided by their veteran education benefits. For more information on financial aid and scholarships, contact the UW Office of Student Financial Services.