More than 3,300 student-veterans are currently enrolled at the University of Central Florida (UCF), supported by the Office of Military and Veteran Student Success. This unit aims to provide an environment where military students can reach their educational and career goals through academic achievement and community partnerships.
UCF has been recognized for its efforts in supporting military and veteran students, receiving a Silver Award on the 2025-26 Military Friendly Schools List, placing it among the top 20% of participating schools. The university is also listed as a 2025 Best Military-Friendly Online College by OnlineU, which evaluates online colleges based on value and return on investment. In January, U.S. News & World Report ranked UCF No. 8 for Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans, while Best Colleges placed UCF at No. 3 for Best Online Military-Friendly Colleges of 2025.
To further expand opportunities for military and veteran students, UCF joined the Service to Service initiative as one of only 12 universities nationwide—and the only one in Florida and the southeast—to participate in this new program. The initiative is a collaboration between The Volcker Alliance and We the Veterans, two nonprofit organizations focused on public service education and empowering service members and their families.
Through this program, known at UCF as Service to Service Fellows, participants have access to graduate programs in public administration, emergency and crisis management, nonprofit management, public policy, and regional and urban planning. The fellowship offers mentorship, community building activities, professional development opportunities, and job placement support.
Trevor Chandrapaul is one example of how these resources can impact student-veterans at UCF. After retiring from the U.S. Navy as a gas turbine systems technician—a role that introduced him to engineering—Chandrapaul decided to pursue computer science at UCF.
“I always knew I wanted to go back to school,” says Chandrapaul, a third-year computer science student who was drawn to UCF for its strong military community and proximity to major defense companies. “I saw how many military veterans actually attended [UCF]. I reached out to someone at the Veterans Academic Resource Center, and they took the time to talk to me and offer reassurance.”
He added: “[UCF] is surrounded by so many defense companies, and I felt like it was a good place for me to continue my studies.”
Chandrapaul quickly found community among other veterans through the Military Veteran Success Center (MVSC). He now works as a program specialist with Peer Success Coaches at MVSC: “Through that job, I was able to help host and participate in so many different events and meet organizations like the Student Veteran Association,” he says.
He also participates in Knight Hacks—UCF’s hackathon group—and enrolled in Entrepreneurship for Defense during Spring 2025. Assigned to a team developing a maritime awareness system, Chandrapaul worked with peers from various engineering backgrounds conducting market research and presenting updates to professors and government sponsors.
The experience led him to be selected for the Defense Innovation Unit’s summer Maritime Domain Awareness System fellowship. As part of this fellowship, he helps develop sensors designed to detect threats such as drug smuggling or illegal fishing.
“We recently did a demo on the rooftop of a coastal condo in West Palm Beach, Florida. We got to see a bunch of boats that our radar picked up. We did demos with the U.S. Navy too. I had the opportunity to visit the Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, which was a base I had pulled into during my time in the service.”
Looking ahead, Chandrapaul plans to continue working where national security meets emerging technology—and may even consider entrepreneurship: “Since [taking the Entrepreneurship for Defense] course, we might actually make it into a real business, which now might be in my future plans,” he says. “It’s a lot of fun making a project that has a real-world impact. And I have to thank UCF for even presenting me with this opportunity.”
