What is it?

Cornell University invites individuals who have served in the U.S. Military and who have been accepted to Cornell to participate in the Veterans Summer Bridge Program (VSBP). Open to both transfer and first-year students, the VSBP is an engaging experience that builds community, introduces you to resources at Cornell, and further develops your academic skills, setting you up for success. The VSBP takes place on the Cornell campus over the course of seven weeks, mid-June until early-August, in the summer prior to starting at Cornell.

When is it?

The Veterans Summer Bridge Program 2024 will begin with Move-In on Tuesday, June 18, immediately followed by Orientation from Wednesday, June 19 to Friday, June 21.  Class dates coincide with the regular six-week summer session at Cornell, June 24 to August 2.  Finals will be August 5-6 and an end-of-VSBP Lunch on August 7.  Move-out of the dorms is by 10 am, August 8.

How are students selected?

Students may be required to attend due to an unmet prerequisite requirement or are invited to attend the program during the admissions process in the college/school to which they have applied. Courses required or selected are determined by admissions or through conversations between the student and the student’s college/school advisor.

What do students in the program do?

Veterans engage in a focused summer program prior to the fall semester including:

• 2-3 tuition-free credit-bearing courses in Cornell’s Six-week Summer Session. One of these courses will be the Veteran’s Seminar. Invited students may choose a third class; however, only one class can be STEM-based, i.e., calculus, chemistry, computer programming, biology, etc.  For those required to attend, they may only enroll in the Veteran’s Seminar and their required class.
• Social and community-building experiences coordinated by Cornell’s Veterans Program Director in partnership with the Student Veteran Ambassadors and the Warrior-Scholar Project offered at Cornell.
• An orientation to life at Cornell and Ithaca, and an introduction to support services and offices through workshops, discussions and other activities.

What are the costs?

Most of the costs of the VSBP are covered. Participants do not need to use their GI Bill® benefits to participate in the summer program. Cornell provides Summer Bridge Program participants with:

• Tuition and fees for Summer Session courses.
• Housing accommodations and an unlimited meal plan for the duration of the program.
• A travel stipend to defer the costs of traveling to Ithaca and a gym membership.
• Access to college advisors and an advisor dedicated to working with Veterans.
• An award covering their Summer Savings Expectation.
• Other covered costs: parking at/near the dorms, books, Student Health Plan and Fee for the summer, outings hosted by the Undergraduate Student Veteran Program Director and the Student Veteran Ambassadors. 

How will the program help me?

Cornell undergraduate education encourages you to take intellectual risks, explore the unfamiliar, and follow unconventional but promising ideas through to their conclusions. The Veterans Summer Bridge Program provides a supportive foundation from which you will build the rest of your academic program at the Ivy League’s only federally designated land-grant university. A Cornell education combines the rigorous intellectual tradition of the Ivy League and the democratic spirit of our nation’s great public universities.

Important Dates

For admissions deadlines, please visit: Undergraduate Application Timelines

VSBP 2024 Dates: June 18 – August 8, 2024

VSBP Move-In: June 18, 2024

VSBP Orientation: June 19-21, 2024

VSBP Class Dates: June 24 – August 2, 2024; 6-week summer session dates

Class Finals Dates: August 5-6, 2024

End-of-VSBP Luncheon: August 7, 2024

VSBP Move-Out: by 10 am, August 8, 2024

VSBP After-Action: Conducted on the last day of classes in the Veteran’s Seminar

Dates are subject to change.