I’ve Been Accepted, What’s Next?

I've been accepted what's next?

Transitioning

GI Bill®

Academic Resources

Orientation

| Transitioning to Cornell  

The transition from military life to the life of a college student can be a daunting change. Cornell is there to help with this transition by offering services and programs that can mitigate these challenges and provide educational tools moving forward. Cornell provides opportunities for veterans to discuss this transition and learn about available resources. The following are resources for students who need information on student health insurance, student disability accommodations, counseling services, career exploration, and other important applications and documents.

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Student Health Insurance: The Student Health Plan is automatically added and billed to your account and students must “opt out” to remove the plan. For more information on plans, please contact Student Health Benefits at:

Email: studentbenefits@cornell.edu

Main Office Phone: 607-255-6363

SHP+ Phone: 607-255-5467

Website: https://studenthealthbenefits.cornell.edu/

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Career Exploration: Many student veterans view their career exploration as an event, when it should be viewed as a process, both in terms of scope and time invested. Given the majority of student veterans at Cornell are transfer students, it is imperative you embark on your career exploration journey right away. Cornell boasts a centralized Career Services office and each college maintains its own dedicated Career Services office. As part of Cornell’s Division of Student and Campus Life, central Career Services offers comprehensive career services to all students. Staff members assist with a variety of services, including helping you learn about your skills and interests and how to best articulate them confidently in resumes, cover letters, interviews and personal statements. They are a great place to identify and explore career options and discover how to implement an effective strategy to attain your desired career outcomes. Look for their Career Development ToolKit in Canvas for a self-paced exploration into the above topics and many more! Visit their website for more information, or contact Career Services at:

Email: career@cornell.edu

Phone: 607-255-5221

Address: 103 Barnes Hall

Website: www.career.cornell.edu

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Student Conduct & Policies: There are a host of policies regarding student conduct, and they can be found on the Student and Campus Life website under Student Conduct and Policies. Policies addressing such issues as the Code of Academic Integrity, Alcohol and Other Drug Use, Prohibited Discrimination, Protected-Status Harassment, Sexual Harassment, and Sexual Assault and Violence are readily available and are integral to the expectations of conduct for all members of the Cornell community.

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Personal Finance: The Personal Finance at Cornell webpage is a great resource as you hone your financial literacy. Everyone values money in different ways, and therefore they set different priorities for themselves, balancing their wants and needs in different ways. Learn the essentials of budgeting, saving, interest, debt, credit & debit cards, student loans and insurance. Enroll in the CashCourse, where you can receive free online financial education courses, establish a personal dashboard to track progress and have access to a variety of financial tools.

| GI Bill®

Cornell offers a variety of benefits that are available to veterans and service members; spouses and family members may also be eligible for education assistance. You might be eligible for more than one benefit, and Cornell does not require eligible students to use their GI Bill® or Yellow Ribbon benefits to pay for college. Cornell offers financial aid packages based on each individual’s financial need. Students can apply for need-based financial aid to determine eligibility for institutional funding prior to utilizing the GI Bill®. Contact Cornell’s Financial Aid office for assistance at finaid@cornell.edu. Some of the benefits that students may be eligible for are below. For questions, please contact the School Certifying Official at vaedben@cornell.edu.

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Chapter 33, Post-9/11 GI Bill®: This bill expands the educational benefits available to most veterans who served on or after September 11, 2001. To find out if you are eligible to utilize this benefit, please visit the VA website for eligibility criteria and to access the online application. Students eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits may receive a percentage of the following benefits based on their eligibility:

  • Tuition & fees, payable directly to the school up to the national cap on the benefit for up to 36 months. ($23,671.94 for 2018-19)
  • A monthly living stipend, payable to the student, based on the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents. ($1755 for 2019-20)
  • A yearly book stipend of up to $1000 paid proportionately based on the number of credits in which a student is enrolled, payable directly to the student.
  • GI Bill® VA Pamphlet
  • Contact the VA with inquiries: 888-442-4551; Mon-Fri, 7 am – 6 pm

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Yellow Ribbon: The Yellow Ribbon program supplements the benefits of the Post-9/11GI Bill® by allowing the university to enter into a dollar-for-dollar matching agreement with the VA. This is available to both undergraduate and graduate degree-granting colleges of Cornell. There is no limit on the number of undergraduate students who can participate, however there are a limited number of graduate students who can participate, which is determined on a first-come, first-serve basis. Students must be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® at 100% entitlement to be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon program.

How to Apply:

  • Complete the Yellow Ribbon Application.
  • Veterans who will be using their own benefits (not benefits transferred from a parent) must submit a copy of their DD 214, Member 4 copy only.
  • Submit materials along with a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility from the VA to the Admissions office via Secure Online Upload or fax to 607-255-6329.

Submission of the Yellow Ribbon application and Certificate of Eligibility is now required every academic year.  These forms should be submitted well in advance of the fall semester, optimally during the summer.  

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Scholarships, Grants & Financial Aid Opportunities:

To view these additional funding opportunities for veterans, active duty personnel, reservists, military spouses and military dependents, visit our Veteran Funding Opportunities page in the Resources tab. Other financial aid opportunities are available for veteran graduate students. Please visit the military.cornell.edu webpage to view resources available for the Johnson School, Law School and Veterinary Medicine student veterans.

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Other GI Bill® & Benefits Information:

Chapter 30, Montgomery GI Bill: Active duty and veterans may be eligible, this benefit is not transferrable to dependents. For more information, view the VA Benefits Pamphlet.

Montgomery GI Bill® “Kicker”: An additional education payment to attract Soldiers to specific units, skills, or positions to meet and sustain Army National Guard readiness requirements. For more detailed information, view the Montgomery GI Bill “Kicker” aka Chapter 1607.

Chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation & Education: Veterans who have at least a 10-20% service-connected disability are eligible to apply, however approval is not guaranteed. VocRehab provides up to 48 months of entitlement. For more detailed information, visit the VA’s VRE page.

Chapter 35, Dependents Education Assistance: For spouses and children of 100% service-connected disabled veterans or of veterans who have died in the line of duty after September 10, 2001, up to 45 months of entitlement are allowed. For more qualifying and benefit information, visit the VA Education Benefits for Survivors & Dependents page.

Chapter 36: Coming soon!

Chapter 1606, Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve: National Guard and Reserve members who have completed he initial Active Duty for training and 180 days of service in the Selected Reserves may be eligible for up to 36 months of benefit. For more detailed information, Chapter 1606.

Tuition Assistance: If you are currently serving in the military, you may be eligible for funding offered through the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance Program (also known as Federal Tuition Assistance –FTA). Tuition assistance at Cornell is currently not approved for any undergraduate programs and is approved for only two graduate/professional level programs:

  • Part-time Systems Engineering online
  • Veterinary Medicine

Apply for GI Bill® Benefits

Housing

Cornell University has housing options whether you want to live on or off campus. Student veterans are not required to reside in on campus housing.  Most Cornell undergraduates and graduate students live off campus.  For additional information on off campus living, visit the Student and Campus Life webpage.

The Campus & Community Engagement Department on the Student and Campus Life page provides a wealth of information regarding off campus living, e.g. the housing search, descriptions of neighborhoods, moving in and out, signing your lease, resources, other housing options, etc.

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On Campus Options: Living @ Cornell provides options for first-year, transfer, upper-level undergraduate, graduate & professional, residents with disabilities and student interested in sober living.  Not only is living on campus convenient for attending classes, you can connect with other students and fully engage in university life.

Examples of on campus options:

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Off Campus Options: Off-Campus Living on the Student & Campus Life page offers a wealth of information on off-campus housing including, the housing search process, rental listings & resources, alternative housing options, resources, and programs aimed at connecting Cornell students with the local Ithaca community.

A few of our transfer students receive notification of admission mid-summer and housing options may be scarce.  Whether you accept admission to Cornell in early spring or later in the summer, there are a few options that may still be available.  The information below provides a general overview of off-campus housing with a few specific examples.  *Non-Cornell web site links are not part of Cornell University, and their inclusion does not imply any endorsement by the university.

  • Veteran’s Program House: Beginning Fall 2021, the first-ever Veteran’s Program House at Cornell University will open it’s doors to student veterans, military-connected students and civic-minded students at all levels of study!  Located at 525 Stewart Avenue, this house offers 26 individual, private rooms with shared common spaces.  Currently, occupancy is at 100% with a waiting list; if you wish to explore this opportunity for fall 2022 and beyond, contact RA Mark Minton at mjm757@cornell.edu.  
  • Collegetown Terrace Apartments: (not affiliated with Cornell) offers a variety of veteran-friendly off campus living options, including apartments and stand-alone houses located throughout Ithaca. For more information, contact Leanne at Leanne@ithacastudentapartments.com.
  • Seal and Serpent Fraternity House: Cornell’s ROTC fraternity offers a small number of rooms available for rent, which includes utilities, internet, laundry and parking at very affordable prices.  An in-house meal plan can also be purchased, which includes a hot dinner prepared by the house chef every Sunday through Thursday at 6 p.m. for an additional $1450 per semester, and includes access to all house snacks, cereals, drinks and breads.  The house is located very close to campus at 305 Thurston Avenue.  For more information, contact Mary at sva@cornell.edu.

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| Academic Resources

Click on each resource below for more information and assistance with academic needs including scheduling, advising, counseling, VA educational benefit processing, and balancing academic requirements with other commitments.

Academic Advising: explore and discuss academic resources, requirements and your curriculum with an advising dean in your college.

Academic Calendar: lists important dates each semester, e.g. holidays, instruction begin and end dates, study periods, exam periods and commencement dates.

 

Cornell Centers and Institutes: provides a listing of centers, institutes, programs and laboratories currently conducting research. 

Cornell University Libraries: The center of intellectual life on campus offering world-class services, explore the 20 libraries across campus.

Dean of Students: The Office of the Dean of Students houses several dynamic and engaging offices and programs aimed at inspiring transformation and enriching the lives of students while supporting students’ personal, social and intellectual growth.

Funding Opportunities: visit this page for myriad scholarship, grant and other funding opportunities for student veterans, reservists, active duty personnel, military spouses and military dependents.

John S. Knight Institute for Writing in the Disciplines: Supports a wide variety of writing seminars, including writing-intensive courses, provides workshops for the Veterans Summer Bridge Program, and the Writing Workshop, which offers tutoring services and tutorial writing classes, to name a few.

Language Resource Center: Aimed at supporting language programs at Cornell, the LRC connects and supports language learners and teachers.

Learning Strategies Center: The LSC provides a variety of services, including tutoring in a variety of subjects and study skills & time management tips. The LSC scholarship is available to students demonstrating both an academic and financial need, and it provides financial support during the Summer or Winter Sessions enabling current full-time undergraduate students to graduate on schedule.

Office of the Student Advocate: Offers assistance and advice to students and student groups in navigating Cornell bureaucracy. The office consists of undergraduate students acting as case workers working on issues such as financial aid problems, grade disputes, discrimination, harassment, etc. Assistance is free and confidential.

Tatkon Center: Assists students in learning about campus opportunities, offers diverse learning opportunities and hosts programs to connect students, provide academic and career exploration, facilitate academic success and health and wellness.

Military-Specific Academic Support Resources:

  • Military Withdrawal, When Called to Duty – Coming Soon
  • VA Educational Benefits
  • Veterans Resource Team Members: Each undergraduate college has appointed a representative(s) to serve as a point of contact to assist student veterans with academic-specific questions, concerns, issues, etc. Learn more about your VRT representative by visiting the Contact Us page.

| Orientation

Orientation is our way of welcoming you to the Cornell University military family.  During orientation, you will get to know your Veteran Support Team, the campus, your fellow student veterans and other military students.  In order to serve our incoming student veterans, military-affiliated students and families, we have instituted an orientation session specifically for you.  Check out some of the topics we’ll address during this session:

  • Introduction to our Veterans Support Team staff, work/study students and your Student Veteran Ambassador.
  • A brief informational session to better acquaint you with available services and how to use your GI Bill® most effectively.
  • A catered meal.

The Military Student Orientation session takes place every fall and spring during Orientation Week.  Please visit our Events feed on our homepage for updated information regarding the Fall 2021 Orientation Week Welcome Aboard!

More information on other university-scheduled events, workshops, tours, etc., can be found on the Cornell University Orientation page.

If you have further questions concerning any of the above or experience difficulty connecting with any of these offices/resources, please contact the Student Veteran Advisor at sva@cornell.edu.