Veteran Education Benefits

Veteran education benefits are available to eligible full or part-time Cornell students or employees who are active duty or reserve military personnel, veterans, or in some cases, the dependent of a veteran. To determine eligibility, complete the online Application for VA Education Benefits (VA Form 22-1990).

To request the use of VA Education Benefits at Cornell:

  1. If this is your first-time using benefits at Cornell, email [email protected] with your student ID number and the statement "I plan to use VA Education and Training Benefits at Cornell." This will trigger an automated process to request more information regarding your benefit eligibility. If you have already used VA Benefits at Cornell a previous semester, you do not need to send this email, you're already set up to receive automated emails.
  2. An email will later be sent detailing steps in the VA Education Benefits process, including completing the appropriate VA Benefits Request Form. To complete the form, you must have applied for VA Education Benefits and have a recent Certificate of Eligibility (COE) or have access to the VA's Statement of Benefits tool. Additionally, you must have an active Cornell Net ID.
  3. Once you enroll in courses, Cornell's School Certifying Officials (SCOs) will certify your enrollment to the VA no later than 30 days prior to the start of the semester.
  4. After the semester begins, Cornell's SCOs will submit tuition and fee charges to the VA, if applicable.
  5. Changes to enrollment and/or tuition and fees are submitted to the VA throughout the semester, as necessary.

For answers to frequently asked questions, visit our VA Education and Training Benefits FAQs.

Cornell VA Benefits Request Form

You will receive an email with guidance once the form is ready each year. You will also receive an email each semester asking for verification of VA benefit requests. You must submit that verification each semester if no changes are needed or may update the request and resubmit as needed.

Fall 2023-Summer 2024 VA Benefits Request Form

Fall 2024-Summer 2025 VA Benefits Request Form

Note: Regular maintenance is performed on Sunday between 5:00 am - 10:00 am; during this time the form may be unavailable and you will receive the following alert when opening the form: "This form is undergoing routine maintenance and will become available approximately at 10:00 am EST, Sunday. Please check back after that time".

In-State Tuition

Any student eligible to receive veteran education benefits who is enrolled in one of the contract colleges or schools at Cornell University (Agriculture and Life Sciences, Human Ecology, Industrial and Labor Relations, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, or Veterinary Medicine) will be assessed in-state tuition.

Students must demonstrate their eligibility to receive VA benefits but they are not required to utilize them. This policy applies to veterans who are eligible under their own entitlement for VA benefits and students who are dependents of veterans and have had benefits transferred to their name. A current COE and request for in-state residency review must be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar via the VA Benefits Request Form prior to the beginning of each academic year.

In-state tuition rates will continue to be assessed as long as:

  • A student remains enrolled in one of the four contract colleges in the same degree-seeking program for which they are currently receiving benefits.
  • A student taking a leave of absence from one of the four contract colleges returns from the leave to the same college by the agreed upon semester.

In-state tuition would be terminated if:

  • The veteran education benefits are transferred to another student or the benefit expires.
  • The student transfers to an endowed college.
  • The student graduates from an undergraduate college and then matriculates into any graduate or professional program. If the student matriculates into the College of Veterinary Medicine, the in-state tuition rate will be re-evaluated based on the student’s veteran education benefit eligibility.

Additional Resources

Veterans at Cornell

Cornell's Military Community

Undergraduate Veterans Admissions

Graduate School Student Veterans

SC Johnson School of Business: Veterans at Johnson

Working at Cornell: Veterans and Military Personnel

Solomon Amendment

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website.

Provisions for Students Receiving Veterans Benefits

In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e), Cornell adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA. This school will not:

  • Prevent nor delay the student’s enrollment;
  • Assess a late penalty fee to the student;
  • Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;
  • Deny the student access to any resources available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution, including but not limited to access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities.

However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:

  • Produce the Certificate of Eligibility by the first day of class;
  • Provide written request to be certified;
  • Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies.

Contact

If you have general questions concerning VA education and training benefits, please visit the VA's website. Contact a VA benefits counselor for a specific question about a current claim.

If you have specific concerns about your certification at Cornell, contact Cornell's SCOs through one of the following methods: