Veterans and Active Service Members

Students new to CUNY should apply for benefits through the VA online application and submit their Certificate of Eligibility to a Graduate Center VA representative.

Transfer students who previously received VA educational assistance benefits at non-CUNY institutions of higher education should apply to their CUNY college's VA representative.

To do so, complete and file a VA 22-1995 Change in Place of Training form and submit your Certificate of Eligibility to a Graduate Center VA representative.

Continuing students will automatically be certified for the semesters in which they are enrolled.

Veteran students who do not want to be certified for a specific term must reach out to their school certifying officer in advance.

Students with disabilities are eligible for additional financial help when they apply for Vocational Rehabilitation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. You must have a VA-certified disability rating of at least 20%.

Students with disabilities will receive authorization directly from the VA, which you must bring to your college. The college will then notify the VA when you are enrolled and in attendance there

Dependents who have not received Dependents' Educational Assistance Benefits (Chapter 35) will need to apply using VA Form 22-5490 or provide a previously issued Certificate of Eligibility.

Service members wishing to enroll at through the Department of Defense Voluntary Education Program must consult their Educational Services Officers (ESO) or counselor within their military service prior to enrolling. Learn more at the Department of Defense’s website.

All students who are eligible to receive VA educational benefits also receive in-state tuition rates.

Students certified for benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill are eligible for tuition and fee deferral.

Those certified for benefits under other programs may request a tuition-only deferral, and fees must be paid at the time payment is due. Application must be made prior to the start of each semester in lieu of bill payment. A tuition-only deferral will be processed for veterans who are certified for veteran's benefits by the Office of the Registrar at their college. All non-tuition fees must be paid at the time payment is due.

Veterans are responsible for the payment of tuition, whether they have received U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits or not.

Students who have received a veteran's deferment and have not cleared their debt will be prevented from registering for the following semester and will have a hold placed on their records. The deferral must be presented to the bursar along with the payment of fees.

Eligible veterans may request an advance payment for their first two months prior to being certified. Advance payment must be requested no sooner than 120 days and no later than 45 days before the first official day of the semester. Advance payment checks are mailed directly to the college's veterans affairs representative.

Students should be aware, however, that after receiving an advance payment check they will not receive another check for several months.

Please reach out to your VA representative on campus if you need further assistance.

The Graduate School and University Center’s Cohort Default Rate (CDR) is consistently lower than the national average. For information on our current CDR, visit the National Center for Education Statistics website.