Active Duty Policy
The policy from the Office of the Provost applies to all enrolled UW-Madison students who are called to or already on active U.S. military service.
Report on UW-Madison Student Veterans
This report provides information about student veterans enrolled at UW-Madison from 2013-2015.
View the Report
Request A Presentation
Interested in learning more about University Veteran Services, our military-connected students, or local resources? Let us know!
Contact Us
Current UW-Madison Data
-
887 Student Veterans
-
2,004 Students who are children or spouses of veterans/current service members
-
670 Students using a GI Bill

Federal Definitions
Veteran – a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable
Armed Forces – the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard, including their Reserve components
Reserve Component – the Army, Naval, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard Reserves and the National and Air National Guard of the United States
See 38 CFR 3.1(d)
Our Definitions
We use the term “student veteran” to describe students who are veterans of the U.S. military under the federal definition or currently serving in the armed forces. The needs of these various students can vary, but further dividing the community is not necessary for providing adequate support or enhancing the student experience.
We use the term “military-connected student” to describe all students we serve. This population includes student veterans along with children and spouses of current or former members of the U.S. military. “Military-connected” does not include all ROTC students, but cadets and midshipmen may also identify as former military or family members.
Recommended Reading
Blum, R. (2015, October 22). The Hard Path From Afghanistan to the Classroom [Blog post].
Cate, C.A., Lyon, J.S., Schmeling, J., & Bogue, B.Y. (2017). National Veteran Education
Success Tracker: A Report on the Academic Success of Student Veterans Using the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Student Veterans of America, Washington, D.C
Martin, T. (2012). Combat in the Classroom. Writing on the Edge,22(2), 27-35.
- Hart, A., & Thompson, R. (2013). War, Trauma, and the Writing Classroom: A Response to Travis Martin’s “Combat in the Classroom”. Writing on the Edge, 23(2), 37-47
Pew Research Center, September 2019, The American Veteran Experience and the Post-9/11 Generation.
VETWAYS has a great list of additional scholarship.