Information and Support for Veterans

UB is a Service Opportunity Colleges (SOC) institutional member. SOC is a consortium of national higher education associations and member institutions that functions in cooperation with the Department of Defense (DOD) and the military services to help meet the higher education needs of service members. UB is also a participating institution in Concurrent Admissions Program (ConAP). ConAP is a joint program of the Army Recruiting Command and participating colleges. ConAP goals are to increase college enrollment of veterans and reservists, and help recruiters enlist college-capable men and women who are postponing college, usually for financial reasons. UB has been named a Military Friendly School and is a Yellow Ribbon School.

UB's Veteran Services can help you to balance college with other life goals. The Office of Veteran Services can assist you with identifying benefits you and your dependents may qualify for, connecting with other veterans and easing the transition from military to campus life.

UB also has financial aid advisors who are knowledgeable about the benefits you may qualify for. Additionally, student advising can help you explore options for obtaining university credit for military training and education. 

If you are called to active military service, you are entitled to military leave with pay for up to thirty calendar days or 22 work days, whichever provides the greater benefit.  You may also be eligible for additional military related leave with pay, military/training leave at reduced pay or extended military leave without pay. 

The Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act, or USERRA, grants employees up to five years of military leave upon request for the purpose of attending drills, service schools, training functions and mobilizations. USERRA also provides entitlements concerning health benefits and pension/retirement plans.

If you are eligible for benefits under the Family and Medical Leave Act, or FMLA, you may take up to 26 weeks of military caregiver leave in a single 12 month period to care for a covered family member with a serious illness or injury that was incurred in the line of duty while on active duty in the Regular Armed Forces, National Guard or Reserves.  You also may take up to 12 weeks of FMLA leave per calendar year for a qualifying exigency if your spouse, son, daughter or parent is a military member on active duty or has been notified of an impending call or order to federal active duty.

Please contact University Human Resources Benefits Administration to ensure you receive the leave, health and pension/retirement benefits you have earned.

Targeting the “underserved” needs of veterans, the UB School of Law has launched a series of programs and courses to address legal concerns and interests of veterans trying to navigate the law.

The Veterans Legal Practicum is a course offered to educate future attorneys on veterans law and also give students practical, hands-on training. Students have readings, projects and weekly classes, but they also have service-learning assignments. Last academic year, they provided more than 1,000 hours of pro bono service, mainly in the form of several dedicated help desks staffed by law students enrolled in the practicum course.

Students staff help desks at Western New York Heroes, a veterans advocacy organization at 8205 Main St., Amherst, and SERV Niagara, 80 Park Ave., Lockport. There are also help desk locations on UB’s North Campus. Please see the UB Law School Veterans Legal Practicum site for more information and hours of operation.

UB's School of Law also organized two Continuing Legal Education (CLE) conferences on veterans law in the 2018-19 academic year and launched an online veterans law course.