Veterans, Military Personnel, Dependents and Survivors

The Office of Financial Aid, pursuant to Executive Order 13607 the Principles of Excellence, is committed to guiding every veteran who attends Brooklyn College in understanding:

the cost of education/attendance,
how to meet educational costs,
the financial aid process and timeline, and
financial aid and financing options.

As part of that commitment, all students who self-identify as U.S. veterans are assigned a dedicated financial aid adviser/point of contact, Gregory Williams, who has appropriate credentialing and training in understanding the particular needs of veterans and service members. Students attending the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema are assigned to Moshe Axelrod, who is also the secondary veteran point of contact.

Below you will have access to information about:

The financial aid process and timeline
Your cost of attending Brooklyn College
Educational financial aid programs available to you through the U.S. Department of Education, New York State, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and other financing sources and options such as scholarships or tuition payment plan
Names, contact information, and credentials for the Office of Financial Aid Veterans' points of contact
Brooklyn College Veteran and Military Programs Office
Brooklyn College Federal Student Loan Cohort Default Rates

Financial Aid Application Timeline Presentation

For a detailed timeline of the financial aid process, review our Financial Aid Application Timeline Presentation (pdf).

Timeline of the Financial Aid Process

The financial aid application process begins with filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) application and veteran's supplement. You must file once a year for each academic year if you wish to be considered for aid. The new FAFSA and TAP application become available for the upcoming academic year on October 1 of every year. This allows you to file up to 10 months before the start of the following academic year and have all financial aid processes well in order and completed before the first bill due dates.

Brooklyn College has a priority financial aid application deadline of May 1. While you can still file for financial aid after this deadline, certain federal programs that are limited may not be available if you file after that date.

We recommend that students have all financial aid process completed before their first tuition bill due date, which is usually in July for the fall semester and in January for the spring semester.

Understanding Your Cost of Attendance (COA)

The cost of attendance is the total estimated cost for attending Brooklyn College as estimated by the City University of New York (CUNY). Costs that you are expected to incur while pursuing your education include:

books and supplies
transportation
lunch at school
personal expenses (such as apparel, entertainment, and medical expenses)
room and board (including allowances for food at home, rent/housing costs, cell phone bill)
tuition and fees

Detailed information cost of attendance information is available for undergraduate study on the Undergraduate Financial Aid webpage and for graduate study on the Graduate Financial Aid page. On that page you will find total estimated costs of the components listed above as well as:

links to the college's online bookstore so you can look up specific book costs
current tuition and fees costs on the Office of the Bursar's webpage

We encourage and welcome all students to carefully review this information and meet with the dedicated veterans point of contact (POC) to discuss any and all inquires related to their cost of attendance.

Financial Aid and Financing Options

There are multiple avenues for veterans to finance their education at Brooklyn College. Student veterans are potentially eligible for federal student aid and veteran-specific New York State financial aid programs in addition to any Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) educational benefits. Similarly, there are special financial aid programs available for the spouse or dependent(s) of a veteran.

Below you will find a listing of DVA and non-DVA educational assistance programs that are potentially available to student veterans and or their dependents:

Federal Student Financial Aid Programs

Federal student financial aid programs are administered through the U.S. Department of Education. These programs are funded by Congress under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended. These programs are available to all applicants who meet the basic eligibility and income, household size, and course enrollment criteria including service members. Aid from these programs can be used in addition to DVA educational benefits (such as the GI Bill). The first step in being considered for federal student aid is to file a FAFSA.

The following are available at Brooklyn College:

The U.S. Department of Education's Aid for Military Families webpage is an additional resource for service members and their families to learn more about specific financial aid options.

New York State Financial Aid Programs

New York State financial aid programs are administered by the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), a New York State government entity. HESC has a dedicated Military Corner webpage that provides reources for veterans to learn about financial aid opportunities in New York State. New York State has veteran-specific financial aid awards. Some of these awards are available to service members or to the dependents/spouse of a service member. We strongly encourage every veteran or dependent/spouse of a veteran to review the information on the HESC Military Corner webpage.

New York State financial aid programs specific to veterans and/or their dependent/spouse are:

Veterans Tuition Awards (VTA) (for veterans; available for undergraduate and graduate study)
Military Enhanced Recognition Incentive and Tribute—MERIT Scholarship, also known as Military Service Recognition Scholarship (MSRS) (for dependents of a veteran)
New York State Regents Awards for Children of Deceased and Disabled Veterans (for dependents of a veteran)
Recruitment Incentive and Retention Program (RIRP) (for service members)
New York Army National Guard (ARNG) Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) (for service members)

NOTE: VTA cannot be used with other financial aid programs that are earmarked exclusively for tuition costs. Therefore, VTA cannot be used by a student veteran who is receiving 100 percent of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which would cover their full tuition at Brooklyn College. However, a student veteran receiving a partial Post-9/11 GI bill payment may be able to receive a partial VTA award. VTA and the Montgomery GI Bill however, can be used simultaneously. VTA may be used for undergraduate or graduate study. VTA requires that all of the courses you take be applicable toward your program of study.

Department of Veterans Affairs Educational Benefits

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers educational benefits to U.S. veterans such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Montgomery GI-Bill, and the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) among other opportunities. More information about educational benefits offered through the DVA are available on the DVA's Education and Training webpage.

Other DVA resources include the GI Bill Comparison Tool.

Students with questions about the DVA educational benefits certification process should visit the Brooklyn College Veteran and Military Programs Office for assistance.

Other Types of Financial Aid

Scholarships—Brooklyn College offers institutional scholarships. Brooklyn College Scholarship opportunities are administered by the Scholarships Office.
Alternative Private Educational Loans—These are loans that are offered through third-party private educational lenders. The Brooklyn College Office of Financial Aid, pursuant to the CUNY Model Code of Conduct, cannot recommend a particular lender. The Office of Financial Aid recommends that other financing options be explored before considering an alternative educational loan.

Tuition Payment Plan

CUNY, through the Bursar's Office, offers a tuition payment plan option administered through the educational financial services company NelNet. There is a fee per semester for enrollment in the plan. More information about this option is available on the Bursar's webpage.

Financial Aid Points of Contact (POC)

The Office of Financial Aid has two full-time staff members with appropriate training and credentialing who are designated points of contact (POC) for all veterans attending Brooklyn College. Both POCs received Military Cultural Competency Training through the Jewish Board of Family Services (JBFCS) Home Again: Veterans and Families Initiative in April 2013. The training has the equivalent of six credits of continuing education units.

The primary POC is Gregory Williams, assistant director for special programs, 308 West Quad Center.
The secondary POC is Moshe Axelrod, assistant director for financial aid advisement, 217 West Quad Center.