No, all undergraduate students apply via the Common Application. 

Yes, Cornell has an Undergraduate Student Veteran Program Director. The office is located in 222A Computing and Communications Center. Office hours are Monday - Friday, 8 am - 4:30 pm; contact sva@cornell.edu or 607-255-0308.

Yes, you can find application fee waiver information on the Admissions website. If you don’t qualify for a need-based application fee waiver or would like to request a fee waiver for your enrollment deposit, please contact veteranadmissions@cornell.edu.

Yes, students are encouraged to apply for financial aid, even when utilizing Post-9/11 benefits. Additional information about applying for financial aid is available on the Financial Aid website. 

Yes, Cornell has several student organizations available to undergraduate and graduate students. Please visit our Campus Resources page for more information. 

No, but you can choose to reside in campus housing. Housing in the Ithaca area is expensive; therefore, we recommend you compare the cost of available, affordable housing on and off-campus. For student veterans, the first-year residency requirements are waived; you can choose to reside in on-campus housing if you wish. Options can be found on the Cornell Housing page.

Currently, the CH33 housing stipend for Ithaca is approximately $2,223 per month, assuming you are taking classes at a full-time rate of pursuit and have at least one residence class in that term. For students at a less-than-full-time rate of pursuit, this amount will be prorated accordingly. The VA website provides a comparison tool to assist in determining stipend rates; you can find additional information in the Veterans Benefits FAQ.

A meal plan is not required, but can be purchased for students who commute or prefer having the option of having a meal plan on campus. Plans and rates are available for undergraduate and graduate students.  

Yes, there are a small number of VA work-study positions available through the Student Veteran Adviser and Program Manager. Veterans, active duty personnel, reservists, guard, or veteran’s dependents who are utilizing a GI Bill benefit and are taking classes at least a ¾ time rate of pursuit are eligible to work as Admissions Outreach Peer Counselors or Student Sponsors. Normally, these positions require you to have completed at least one semester at Cornell before you are eligible. For more information, contact sva@cornell.edu.

Cornell University has a personal leave policy that allows active duty personnel and reservists who are recalled to or activated by their units to administratively withdraw from their courses. Their place at Cornell is assured upon their return or deactivation. You will receive a 100% tuition refund with documentation of your military activation orders. Please contact the Veterans Program Director at sva@cornell.edu for support.

It is highly recommended that you do not drop a course before speaking with the SCO to determine what, if any, financial repercussions there may be regarding your GI Bill benefits.  Dropping a course and falling below a full-time rate of pursuit may require repayment of GI Bill benefits, and this repayment can be quite substantial.

Yes! There are an unlimited number of spots for undergraduate students, however there is limited availability of Yellow Ribbon for graduate and professional students. Graduate and professional students must apply on a first-come, first-served basis. More information can be found on the Registrar website.

Some students choose to save their GI Bill benefits for graduate or professional school. Cornell allows military students to choose between a financial aid package and their GI Bill. There is no guarantee a student will receive federal or institutional aid, and if they do, the comprehensiveness of that financial aid package.

All veterans, active duty personnel, reservists, dependents or spouses wishing to utilize a GI Bill benefit must apply via the VA website, va.gov.  There is a multitude of information on this website to assist in selecting the appropriate program for which to apply, verifying you are eligible for VA GI Bill benefits, the required documents to apply, and the various methods to apply.

Once you receive your Certificate/Letter of Eligibility from the VA, you are an admitted student to Cornell, and you are enrolled in classes, complete a VA Benefits Request Form. Your Certificate/Letter of Eligibility will be uploaded via that form. Cornell’s SCO will process your form and submit your enrollment and/or tuition certification to the VA.

No, but you will need to fill out and submit a VA Form 22-1995 to the VA, alerting them to the fact that you have changed schools. 

To get your benefits started, you will complete a VA Benefits Request Form. You must provide an updated copy of your Certificate/Letter of Eligibility at the beginning of an academic year, then update or confirm your selections every semester/year for which you wish to utilize your GI Bill® benefits. Email reminders will be sent to your Cornell email each semester. Cornell’s SCO will process your selections and report them appropriately to the VA.

Only the Post-9/11 GI Bill® can cover the cost of the Student Health Plan; no other GI Bill® benefit covers this cost. The Student Health Fee is not covered, nor is the cost for dependent’s insurance coverage.

Only the VA can determine your eligibility for education benefits. To find out more about eligibility requirements, visit: GI Bill Education Benefits.