Military personnel may be banned from using federal assistance to attend Florida Tech, after the institution landed on a list of 34 schools flagged by the Department of War, formerly the Department of Defense, according to reports from multiple media outlets.
For now, Florida Tech has not received official communication from the Department of War and is unaware of any impact on students.
In addition to Florida Tech, the list included schools like Harvard University, Princeton University, Stanford University, Yale University and other top-rated schools.
Here’s what we know about the list, the Department of War’s campaign and what this means for Florida Tech.
Florida Tech flagged as a ‘moderate to high risk’ school by the Department of War
Reports flagging Florida Tech as a “moderate to high risk” school for the Department of War first emerged widely on Feb. 14, when MeidasTouch, an independent media site which describes itself as “a pro-democracy news network,” posted a screenshot showing a list of schools to its Facebook page.
The screenshot appeared to be part of a memo from the Department of War, with part of the message saying the listed schools were “determined to be Moderate to High Risk Schools.” In addition to Florida Tech, the list included schools like Harvard University, Princeton University, Stanford University, Yale University and other top-rated schools.
What does it mean to be flagged as a “moderate to high risk” school by the Department of War?
The list of schools is connected to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s campaign against schools he describes as being biased against the US military and sponsoring “troublesome partnerships with foreign adversaries,” CNN reported.
Landing on the list means a school may be at “moderate to high risk” of losing Pentagon funding for military tuition assistance.
It’s not clear how Florida Tech will be impacted. The school has received no communication as to how to proceed, a spokesperson said.
Florida Tech has been named a Military-friendly school more than 12 times
Military Friendly, an organization that scores schools and companies based on their resources for and recruitment of veterans, has named Florida Tech a military-friendly school and a military spouse-friendly school more than 12 times in recent years.
The school has also been recognized multiple times by Military Times as a top 50 school for military veterans, the most recent being in 2024 when Florida Tech ranked 44th among Southeastern schools and 45th among private, not-for-profit schools.
“Florida Tech can claim numerous military generals as alumni and can point to dozens of accolades for our veterans programs from Military Times, U.S. News & World Report and others,” university spokesperson Adam Lowenstein said.
“Florida Tech is an unparalleled source for producing military leaders, thinkers and scholarship that helps shape our nation’s — and our armed forces’ — bright future with innovation, passion and pride.”
How has Florida Tech responded to reports of landing on Department of War list?
As of Feb. 18, Florida Tech has heard nothing from federal officials regarding military tuition assistance and related programs, Lowenstein said.
“At this point, we are unaware of any impact to tuition assistance for current or prospective students,” he said in an email to FLORIDA TODAY.
He highlighted the university’s “deep, meaningful history of military support,” pointing to the school’s founding by World War II veteran Jerome Keuper, the school’s decorated ROTC Panther Battalion and military ties.
Hegseth orders evaluation of programs that ‘diminish critical thinking’
When asked for clarification as to why Florida Tech was on the list of “moderate to high risk” schools and how universities were chosen, a Department of War press contact told FLORIDA TODAY to contact the “specific service that has the arrangement with the school in question.”
They did not respond to a request for further clarification or refer FLORIDA TODAY to a specific contact.
While it’s not clear how Florida Tech will be impacted, CNN reported that Hegseth ordered military services to “evaluate all existing graduate programs for active duty members at Ivy League universities and any other universities that similarly diminish critical thinking and have significant adversary involvement, and determine whether they deliver cost-effective, strategic education for future senior leaders when compared to public universities and military masters programs.”
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida Tech on Department of War’s ‘high risk’ list. What that means
Reporting by Hana Khalyleh and Finch Walker, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
