VETERANS' PREFERENCE
FAU is committed to honoring the preference given by Florida law to U.S. Veterans, their spouses and their family members, in appointment and retention in employment. We hope you find this page helpful, and thank you for considering FAU for your future career development. Thank you for your service!
If you have any questions about claiming Veterans' Preference, please send an email to Recruitment Services at empl@fau.edu.
Under Florida law, Veterans' Preference at FAU is applicable to Support Personnel (SP) positions only.
If an applicant qualifies for Veterans' Preference and the SP position, they are shown preference by the guarantee of an interview. Veterans’ Preference does not guarantee a job. The final decision is made by the hiring authority and is based on who they believe is most qualified for the position.
Per Section 295.07, Florida Statutes:
Those disabled veterans:
- Those who have served on active duty in any branch of the United States Armed Forces, have received an honorable discharge, and have established the present existence of a service-connected disability that is compensable under public laws administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs; or
- Who are receiving compensation, disability retirement benefits, or pension by reason of public laws administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the United States Department of Defense.
The spouse of a person who has a total disability, permanent in nature, resulting from a service-connected disability and who, because of this disability, cannot qualify for employment, and the spouse of a person missing in action, captured in line of duty by a hostile force or forcibly detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power.
A wartime veteran as defined in s. 1.01(14), who has served at least 1 day during a wartime period. Active duty for training may not be allowed for eligibility under this paragraph.
The un-remarried widow or widower of a veteran who died of a service-connected disability.
The mother, father, legal guardian, or un-remarried widow or widower of a member of the United States Armed Forces who died in the line of duty under combat-related conditions, as verified by the United States Department of Defense.
A veteran as defined in s. 1.01(14). Active duty for training may not be allowed for eligibility under this paragraph.
A current member of any reserve component of the United States Armed Forces or the Florida National Guard.
55A-7.013 Documentation of Preference Claim.
An applicant who believes he or she is entitled to Veterans’ Preference in employment shall indicate such preference on the application form.
The applicant claiming preference is responsible for providing required documentation at the time of making an application for a vacant position, or prior to the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
Intentional misrepresentation of any claim for preference shall disqualify the applicant from claiming Veterans’ Preference on future applications, and if employed, shall be subject to disciplinary action by the employer, including dismissal.
All applicants may submit: a Veterans’ Preference Certification, FDVA form VP-1, or a simple letter, form, or other written application containing essentially the same information, and the following:
(a) Veterans, disabled veterans, and spouses of disabled veterans shall furnish a Department of Defense document, commonly known as form DD-214 or military discharge papers, or equivalent certification from the DVA, listing military status, dates of service and discharge type.
(b) Disabled veterans shall also furnish a document from the Department of Defense, the DVA, or the Department certifying that the veteran has a service-connected disability.
(c) Spouses of disabled veterans shall also furnish either a certification from the Department of Defense or the DVA that the veteran is totally and permanently disabled or an identification card issued by the Department; spouses shall also furnish evidence of marriage to the veteran and a statement that the spouse is still married to the veteran at the time of the application for employment; the spouse shall also submit proof that the disabled veteran cannot qualify for employment because of the service-connected disability.
(d) Spouses of persons on active duty shall furnish a document from the Department of Defense or the DVA certifying that the person on active duty is listed as missing in action, captured in line of duty, or forcibly detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power; such spouses shall also furnish evidence of marriage and a statement that the spouse is married to the person on active duty at the time of that application for employment.
(e) The mother, father, legal guardian, or unremarried widow or widower of a deceased Veteran shall furnish a document from the Department of Defense showing the death of the service member while on duty status under combat-related conditions or the DVA certifying the service-connected death of the Veteran. The mother, father, or legal guardian shall provide evidence of familial relationship, such as a birth certificate. The unremarried widow or widower of a deceased Veteran shall furnish a document from the Department of Defense or the DVA certifying the service-connected death of the Veteran, and shall provide evidence of marriage, such as a marriage certificate. This evidence may be proved by providing a completed Certification of Unremarried Widow or Widower, FDVA form VP-3, incorporated by reference and found at http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-14604 or document or form that similarly provides evidence regarding such the status. This documentation is intended to facilitate granting rather than denying a benefit.
(f) The current service member of any active component of the United States Armed Forces who is expected to be discharged or released from active-duty service under honorable conditions no later than 120 days after the date that a Statement of Service certification or letter is prepared by the armed forces, shall be treated as a Preference-Eligible applicant. These documents may be provided in lieu of a DD-214 or other documentation which may not be available until active service has ended.
(g) The current member of any reserve component of the United States Armed Forces may provide a signed memorandum stating he or she is serving honorably from his or her Commander or military human resource personnel, or a completed Certification of Current Member of Reserve Component of the United States Armed Forces or The Florida National Guard, FDVA form VP-2, incorporated by reference and found at http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-14603, signed by an immediate military supervisor. Full-Time duties and operational support assignments in the Reserve Component and the Florida National Guard, for all purposes other than receiving training, are Preference-Eligible for recruitment, hiring, retention, and promotional preferences.