Veterans

VA Educational Benefits

Post 9/11 GI Bill®

The Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) covers tuition and fees for up to 36 months. Tuition and fees are paid directly to CUNY SPS. Students who use Chapter 33 can qualify for a housing allowance, as well as a stipend for books. These benefits are dependent on percentage of eligibility and whether you attend full time or part time. For Fall and Spring semesters, full-time enrollment is at least 12 credits per semester for undergraduates, or at least 9 credits per semester for graduate students. If it is your first time using VA benefits, complete VA form 22-1990. If you have already used VA benefits at another educational facility, fill out VA form 22-1995. After submitting the appropriate form to the VA, contact the CUNY SPS Office of Military and Veteran Student Services to complete benefits certification.

Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship

The Edith Nourse Rogers Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) Scholarship allows Post 9/11 GI Bill- or Fry Scholarship-receiving STEM students a chance to receive up to 9 months or $30,000 of additional benefits. To receive this scholarship, you must be enrolled in a STEM-oriented undergraduate degree or a teaching certificate program. At CUNY SPS, students completing the following degree programs may be eligible for the STEM Scholarship.

• BS in Health Information Management
• BS in Health Services Adminitration
• BS in Information Systems
• BS in Nursing (including dual/joint degrees with BCC, BMCC, LGACC, and QCC)
• RN to BS-MS in Nursing Education (Accelerated)
• RN to BS-MS in Nursing Informatics (Accelerated)
• RN to BS-MS in Nursing Organizational Leadership (Acccelerated)

To apply for the STEM Scholarship, fill out VA form 22-10203.

Veterans Readiness and Employment

Veterans Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31) helps you explore employment opportunities and receive training to reach employment goals. This benefit is for veterans who have a service-connected disability rating of 10% or higher. The benefit operates on “Tracks” (programs offered through Chapter 31 that each focus on different methods of reemployment in the civilian sector). Those who wish to obtain a degree or certificate at CUNY SPS will go through the Employment Through Long-Term Services track. If it’s your first-time using VA benefits, you will have to complete VA form 22-1990. For students who wish to enroll at CUNY SPS and have already used VA benefits at another educational facility, fill out VA form 22-1995. After submitting the form to the VA, contact the CUNY SPS Office of Military and Veteran Student Services to complete benefits certification.

For information on what services CUNY SPS provides to students with disabilities, visit the CUNY SPS Office of Student Disability Services.

Please submit your book vouchers directly to the vendor: va-bookstore@akademos.com.

Montgomery GI Bill

Veterans who served at least two years on active duty prior to 2001 and were honorably discharged may be eligible to receive up to 36 months of educational benefits through the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD) (Chapter 30). Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard Reserve, Army National Guard, or Air National Guard may be eligible for up to 36 months of education benefits through the Montgomery Bill—Selected Reserve (MGIB SR) (Chapter 1606). If this is your first time using VA benefits, please complete VA form 22-1990. Students who have already used VA benefits at another educational institution should fill out VA form 22-1995. After submitting the form to the VA, contact CUNY SPS Office of Military and Veteran Student Services to complete certification.

VA Work Study

The VA Work Study program is a benefit offered by the VA that allows students utilizing VA education benefits and enrolled ¾ or full-time to work at a nearby VA facility or in a VA-related role at their school or another VA-approved facility. To enroll in the program, you must locate a VA work study participating facility and inquire about potential work study opportunities. (CUNY SPS Office of Student Services is one such facility). Once you have located this facility, apply to the VA Work Study program with the VA Form 22-8691 and follow up with the work study partner in order to certify this benefit. Participating students will be compensated at the NYC minimum wage ($15 per hour, tax-exempt). Under the program, participants cannot work more hours total than 25 times the number of weeks in their enrollment period. For example, if you enroll in a 16-week course for the semester, you can work no more than 400 hours (16 x 25) for that enrollment period. Please contact CUNY SPS Office of Military and Veteran Student Services for information on potential work study locations.

Tutoring

Veterans using VA educational benefits are eligible for free tutoring services. To qualify for tutorial assistance, the course must be a part of the veteran’s educational program. The course instructor will present a letter to the school’s certifying official stating that the student requires a tutor. CUNY SPS will help the veteran find a tutor, and the certifying official will assist in preparing the paperwork to reimburse the tutor. The money to fund this benefit will not be taken out of the veteran’s educational benefits.

State Educational Benefits for Veterans

New York State’s Veteran Tuition Award

New York State’s Veteran Tuition Award (VTA) covers the cost of undergraduate tuition for in-state students attending SUNY/CUNY school full-time (>12 credits/semester) and a prorated amount of tuition for part-time (<12 credits/semester) students. This program is geared towards veterans who are not receiving VA educational benefits. Please review eligibility requirements to see if you qualify.