You are a military student if you are a veteran or active duty member of the U.S. armed forces. Military students at Penn State are classified as adult students. The application process differs depending on if you are a first-year or a transfer student (attempted 18 or more credits at an accredited institution of higher education after high school graduation).  

Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as their dependents, may be eligible to receive one or more educational benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Attention Military-Connected Students!

Recent state legislation now requires public institutions of higher learning, state-related institutions, state-owned institutions, and private institutions in Pennsylvania to charge resident tuition rates to veterans, their spouses, and dependent children who do not currently reside in Pennsylvania.  

Resident tuition rates will also be extended to guard/reservists/active-duty members, their spouses, and dependent children regardless of residency, as well as any civilian personnel, their spouses, and dependent children employed at a Department of Defense facility who are transferred to Pennsylvania by the Department of Defense and who reside in Pennsylvania. 

Please note, under this legislation, “Veteran” is defined as “an individual who served in the United States Armed Forces, including a reserve component or the National Guard and who was discharged or released from service under conditions other than dishonorable. The term includes an individual described in 38 U.S.C. § 3319(b) (relating to authority to transfer unused education benefits to family members).  

Please see the full act here. 

In order to receive the in-state tuition, veteran and/or dependent status must be verified.  For more information about the process to request in-state tuition based on this legislation, please go to the Office of Veterans Programs website.

*Please note, those students using Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits automatically receive in-state tuition and do not need to complete this process.

Military Education Benefits Overview

Veteran students must complete an application for benefits to determine eligibility. Visit the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs about G.I. Bill® Benefits. Once you have your Certificate of Eligibility letter from the VA, then you can submit the Certification Request Form--now through LionPath!! 

*Please do not send any paper forms to the School Certifying Official.

STEPS TO SUBMIT THE VA ENROLLMENT CERTIFICATION REQUEST FORM IN LIONPATH

  • In LionPATH, check to see if you have a Military Affiliated Student Questionnaire in your To-Do list to complete first.

  • Go to your Student Home Base, selecting the “My Information” icon

  • Select “VA Enrollment Cert Request” in the menu

  • Upload your Certificate of Eligibility (if first semester or a change in eligibility)

  • Complete the VA Enrollment Cert Request form.  *This form must be completed each term you wish to use VA Education benefits.

  • If you are in a major (not a premajor or DUS), upload your degree audit to complete the form. See https://www.registrar.psu.edu/degree-planning/degree-audit.cfm.

  • If you have any issues accessing the form, please reach out to your campus certifying official.

School Certifying Official (SCO) at Penn State New Kensington:

Sherri Smith
724-334-6047
[email protected]

Adult and Veteran Study Lounge

There is a Study Lounge in Rm 005 Administration Building on campus available for ROTC/Veteran/Active Duty military students. Available for your use is a computer, microwave, refrigerator and Keurig machine with free coffee.

Types of Benefits

(Please click on a Chapter below for more information about each benefit.) 

Chapter 30 - Montgomery G.I. Bill®

This program is for a veteran who enlisted on or after July 1, 1985, and contributed to the educational fund while on active duty.

Chapter 31 - Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E)

This program is for a veteran with at least a 20% disability rating due to a service-connected injury. 

Chapter 33 - Post 9/11 G.I. Bill®

This program is for a veteran with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001.

Chapter 35 - Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance

This program provides education assistance for qualifying spouses and children of veterans that either died while on active duty or have a 100% disability rating due to a service-connected injury.

Chapter 1606 - Reservist and National Guard G.I. Bill®

This program is for members of the selected reserve or National Guard who signed at least a six-year contract after July 1, 1985, and who have served at least 180 days of active duty.

Additional Benefits

Fry Scholarship  
The “Fry Scholarship” expands the New GI Bill® education benefits to cover the full cost of a college education for all of the children and spouses of service members who have died on active duty on or after September 11, 2001. All children and spouses of members of the Armed Forces who have died in the line of duty while on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, are eligible for 36 months of tuition and fees up to the maximum in-state tuition, as well as a monthly living stipend and book allowance. For more information, visit the VA website or call 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551)

Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Scholarship: The VA has launched the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship program for students training in high demand STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields. The Rogers STEM Scholarship will provide up to nine months of additional Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits (to a maximum of $30,000) to qualifying Veterans and Fry Scholars seeking an undergraduate STEM degree or who have earned a STEM degree and are seeking a teaching certification.

Tuition Assistance Program
This program provides financial assistance for voluntary off-duty education programs. For more information, visit the Tuition Assistance website.

Yellow Ribbon
The Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program) is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows institutions of higher learning (degree-granting institutions) in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. The institution can contribute up to 50 percent of those expenses and VA will match the same amount as the institution.

Military Credits
If you are designated as a degree-seeking student, you may be eligible to receive physical education credits or health credits for your time in the military. It is necessary to have served for more than one year on active duty and to have obtained an honorable discharge.  Find out how to earn PSU credit through your military experience here.

Priority Course Registration & Honor Cord

Penn State recognizes those who have honorably served or are currently serving in the United States Armed Forces by awarding priority registration and a red, white, and blue honor cord at graduation in recognition of their duty and sacrifice. Priority registration allows veterans to schedule classes ahead of the general student population.Newly admitted students schedule their courses for their first semester at Penn State during New Student Orientation. After that, enrolled veterans are eligible for priority (early) course registration.

For more information about Priority Registration:
http://equity.psu.edu/veterans/priorreghonorcord

For more information please visit the Office of Veterans Programs or the Penn State Veterans & Military Website.

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 web site at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.