--- title: Veteran Student College Admission & Funding description: Learn about college admissions and funding options for veterans and their dependents, including the GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program. image: https://admitreport.com/hubfs/Veteran%20Admissions-1.jpg --- [Think you can get into a top-10 school? 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Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/dartmouth-supplemental-essays) [All Supplemental Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/supplementals) Activities Descriptions [Writing Activities Descriptions that Stand Out](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-activities-essay) Admissions Office Communications [Finding Your Admissions Officers](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-an-email-to-a-college-admissions-office-sample#contacting-your-admissions-counselor-vs-the-admissions-office) [Emailing an Admissions Office](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-an-email-to-a-college-admissions-office-sample) [Preparing to Apply](https://admitreport.com/how-to-apply-to-college) Preparation Pathways Extracurricular Activities Academic Basics Testing Admissions 101 Grade-Based Timelines [First-Year Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/first-year-timeline) [Sophomore Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/sophomore-timeline) [Junior Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/junior-timeline) [Senior Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/senior-timeline) International Students [How to Apply as an International Student](https://admitreport.com/blog/applying-to-college-as-an-international-student) Extracurriculars in Admissions [How Admissions Officers Evaluate Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurriculars-and-college-admissions) [How to Find Authentic Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-organically-find-your-extracurricular-interests) [Basic Extracurricular Pathways](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-pathways) [Extracurricular Magnitude and Impact](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-magnitude-and-impact) [Leveling Up Your ECs](https://admitreport.com/blog/leveling-up-your-extracurriculars) [Crafting ECs by Combining Interests](https://admitreport.com/blog/craft-amazing-extracurriculars) [Passion Projects](https://admitreport.com/blog/passion-project-ideas) GPA 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College](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#liberal-arts-colleges) [Private University](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#highly-selective-private-institutions) [State University](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#large-state-schools) [Community Colleges](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#community-colleges) How Applications are Reviewed [How Applications are Reviewed](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) [The Job of the Admissions Officer](https://admitreport.com/blog/reading-5k-essays-in-a-top-15-admissions-office) [What is the Committee?](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications#the-third-trial-committee-recommendations) [Your Application Strategy](https://admitreport.com/application-strategy) Navigating the application College Application Strategy College Research Building Your College List Application Materials Common Application Guide [How to Use the Common 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Decision](https://admitreport.com/blog/early-action-vs-early-decision) [How to Pick Your ED](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-strategize-your-early-decision-application) [Early Decision II](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-strategize-your-early-decision-application#what-s-the-strategy-for-ed-ii-schools) Letters of Recommendation [Teacher Letters](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college) [Counselor Letters](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college) [How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college#how-to-get-the-best-letters-of-recommendation-possible) School Report [What Is a School Report?](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/vz09mf/the_document_in_every_application_most_students/) [All Resources](https://admitreport.com/blog) [College Consulting](https://sierraadmissions.com/) [About Us](https://admitreport.com/about-us) [![](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/admit-report-logo-black.svg)](https://admitreport.com/) [College Essays](https://admitreport.com/college-essays) [Preparing to Apply](https://admitreport.com/how-to-apply-to-college) [Your Application Strategy](https://admitreport.com/application-strategy) [All Resources](https://admitreport.com/blog) [College Consulting](https://sierraadmissions.com/) [About Us](https://admitreport.com/about-us) ###### Contents Last updated October 17, 2023 Every piece we write is researched and vetted by a former admissions officer. Read about [our mission](https://admitreport.com/standards) to pull back the admissions curtain. [Blog](https://admitreport.com/blog) > [Financial Aid](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/financial-aid) > Veteran Student College Admission & Funding # Veteran Student College Admission & Funding Admissions officer reviewed by [Ben Bousquet, M.Ed](https://admitreport.com/about-us) Former Vanderbilt University Written by [Ben Bousquet, M.Ed](https://admitreport.com/about-us) Former Vanderbilt University Admissions ###### Key Takeaway Veterans and their dependents can access various benefits to support their college education, including the GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program, which provide financial aid and cover tuition, housing, and other expenses. Not all college students enter college right out of high school. In fact, many don’t! If you’re a veteran, you may be one of these students, which are often called “nontraditional.” Even if you’re the dependent of a veteran, you may also have some benefits that your peers don’t have access to. In this post, we’ll talk about applying to and funding college as a veteran. Let’s jump into it. ## Apply to College as a Veteran Applying to college as a veteran will look different depending on your background. If you’ve never attended college before, you’ll apply as a first-year student. “First-year students” are those who have never enrolled in a college class. On the other hand, if you have taken college courses since graduating high school—even for a single term—you should apply as a transfer student. Once you determine which designation is most appropriate for you, you’ll apply just like any other student. For most schools, that means applying through the Common Application. ## Benefits for Veterans and Their Dependents There's more to VA benefits than just the GI Bill. Veterans' education benefits include financial aid for undergraduate and graduate degrees, vocational and technical training, licensing and certification tests, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training. If you're a dependent of a veteran, you might also qualify for some benefits. Let’s look at two important sources of funding: the GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program. **GI Bill** The benefits from the [GI Bill](https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/post-9-11/) can cover lots of college-related expenses, including tuition and fees, housing, and books and supplies. If you need financial support to move from a rural area to attend a college, you may also be able to get a one-time payment to support your move. To check if you're eligible for GI benefits, visit [va.gov/education](http://va.gov/education). And if you have a post-9/11 GI Bill, you can see the state of your benefits on the [VA’s website](https://www.va.gov/education/gi-bill/post-9-11/ch-33-benefit/). You may also be wondering if these benefits expire. If you exited the service prior to January 1, 2013, your GI Bill benefits expire after 15 years. If you exited the service after January 1, 2013, then your benefits do not expire. **The Yellow Ribbon Program** Another important benefit is the Yellow Ribbon Program. If you're eyeing a school that costs more than what the GI Bill covers, you should be looking at schools labeled as Yellow Ribbon Schools. These schools have made an agreement with the VA to help cover veterans’ financial need. Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, the VA matches each dollar that a school contributes. So if your chosen college offers $5,000 in Yellow Ribbon scholarships, the VA will also pitch in $5,000, giving you a total of $10,000 extra in aid. The VA even has a tool to help you find schools that participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. [Check out the Find a Yellow Ribbon school tool here](https://www.va.gov/education/yellow-ribbon-participating-schools/). ## TL;DR For veterans and their dependents, a college education doesn't have to come with a giant price tag. Benefits like the GI Bill can cover all or part of your education and training costs. Plus, there are other VA benefits and the Yellow Ribbon Program that can help meet any unmet financial need. To verify your eligibility for these benefits, visit [va.gov/education](http://va.gov/education). At the same time, make sure to [build a strategic college list](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list) that targets institutions that will offer Yellow Ribbon Benefits if you need them. ###### Liked that? Try this next. ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/CDS%20Posts%20(36).png) Financial Aid for Colleges: Our Basic Guide](https://admitreport.com/blog/financial-aid-for-colleges) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/Power%20of%20a%20Cohesive%20College%20Application.jpg) The Incredible Power of a Cohesive College Application](https://admitreport.com/blog/cohesive-application) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/CDS%20Posts%20(18).png) Touring Colleges: What You Need to Know](https://admitreport.com/blog/touring-colleges) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/15%20Personal%20Statement%20Examples.jpg) 16 Amazing Personal Statement Examples (2025 Update)](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples) ### Upgrade your college journey ###### Content [Admissions Guides](https://admitreport.com/admissions-guides) [Categories](https://admitreport.com) ###### Legal [Privacy Policy](https://admitreport.com/privacy) [Terms of Use](https://admitreport.com/terms) K&S Canon, PLLC 1200 5TH Ave Ste 1950, Seattle, WA, 98101-1183, United States Copyright © 2026 McNeil Admissions ### "The only actually useful chance calculator I’ve seen—plus a crash course on the application review process." Irena Smith, Former Stanford Admissions Officer We built the best admissions chancer in the world. How is it the best? It draws from our experience in top-10 admissions offices to show you how selective admissions actually works. [Get Chanced (We Dare You)](https://uq2z800a22f.typeform.com/to/GSbIvdW0) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Ben Bousquet, M.Ed", "url" : "https://admitreport.com/blog/author/ben-bousquet-m-ed" }, "dateModified" : "2023-10-17T16:09:27.743Z", "datePublished" : "2023-10-17T16:09:27.000Z", "headline" : "Veteran Student College Admission & Funding", "image" : [ "https://admitreport.com/hubfs/Veteran%20Admissions-1.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://admitreport.com/blog/veteran-student-college-admission", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject" }, "name" : "McNeil Admissions LLC" } } ```