Veterans
The University at Buffalo is proud to be designated as a Military Friendly® School. There are a variety of federal, state and institutional benefits available to help veterans and qualified dependents of veterans pursue college.
Although not listed as a current VA Yellow Ribbon participant, UB proudly offers students tuition benefits commensurable to those of the Yellow Ribbon program.
The VA Yellow Ribbon Program generally provides additional funding for students who are charged out-of-state tuition. Provisions in the Veteran Access to Care Act of 2014 require all public universities, such as UB, to offer in-state tuition to honorably discharged veterans and eligible dependents. Students must submit the Residency Application for New York State Tuition Purposes—Military form to the Student Accounts office in order to receive this benefit.
As of August 2017, Veteran Certification is located in 1Capen on North Campus.
The Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 requires educational institutions to make certain disclosures to students using federal military and/or VA educational benefits. To view and print a copy of an estimated personalized cost of attendance you can visit the SUNY Net Price Cost Calculator and select “Buff Univ” from the dropdown. Additional financial information can be found at the NCES College Navigator site.
The SUNY Financial Aid Plan (FAP) will provide a more in-depth analysis and accurate picture of student cost once the student has filed their FAFSA, completed a SUNY application, and has been accepted by a campus.
UB’s Veteran Services is a comfortable place where student veterans can get support on veterans’ benefits, academic policies and campus resources to support academic success. Veteran Service’s mission is to ease your transition into college, and help you balance college life with your military, career, family and personal goals. Contact Veteran Services early to take advantage of the services and programs available to you throughout your UB career.
The Department of Veterans Affairs sponsors several education assistance programs to qualified veterans and active duty service members.
Use the VA Education Programs Comparison Chart to determine which benefit you may be eligible to receive.
Your decision to apply for a certain education benefit could impact your eligibility for other benefits. Here are a few factors to keep in mind:
- If you’re eligible for more than one education benefit, such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill® and the Montgomery GI Bill®, you must choose which benefit to receive, a decision that’s final and cannot be changed.
- Beginning with terms starting on or after December 17, 2021, if you are using your Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefit at an Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) facility, you are required to verify your enrollment at the end of each month to receive your Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA). We want to help you meet this new requirement so you can continue your education without any interruption in benefits.
The VA encourages students to opt into text messaging, which is a simple, quick option for verifying monthly enrollment and ensuring you receive your MHA payments uninterrupted. If you opt out of text message verification or do not respond to the opt-in text, you will be automatically enrolled in email verification with the email address on file with VA. For more information, refer to the VA enrollment verification webpage.
- If you’re eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® and two or more additional education benefits, you must give up one of the additional education benefits. However, you may remain eligible for the benefit or benefits you did not give up.
- The Montgomery GI Bill® – Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606) benefits can be combined with the Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) program, but not for the same course.
You can begin the application process in one of the following ways:
- Apply online today if you know which benefit you want to use.
- Visit your nearest VA regional office to apply in person.
- The Financial Aid Office is the designated point of contact for VA benefits certification. Visit 1Capen to speak with a financial aid advisor regarding general eligibility requirements, or contact one of the VA Certifying Officials by calling 716-645-8232 or email UBFA@buffalo.edu to discuss the certification of enrollment process. You can also find more information on the process of having your enrollment certified by visiting the Veteran Services Enrollment Certification information page.
- Tuition Assistance: For active duty military – service members are to contact their Educational Service Officer (ESO) or command counselor prior to taking classes.
- Call 1-888-GI BILL-1 (888-442-4551) to have the application mailed to you.
UB’s Veteran Services is available to assist you in determining your eligibility for specific education assistance programs as well as to guide you through the application process.
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine your eligibility for federal financial aid. You may be eligible for a Pell Grant or low-interest Direct Loans regardless of your eligibility for Veterans education benefits.
If you are a resident of New York State, complete the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) application, along with the New York State Veterans Tuition Award Supplement to determine if you are eligible for the Veterans Tuition Award through New York State.
The Recruitment Incentive and Retention Program (RIRP) is a New York State program designed to recruit and retain quality members for the New York Army and Air National Guard and the Naval Militia. Effective 1 January 1997, any active member of the New York National Guard or Naval Militia, in good standing, is eligible to apply to receive tuition assistance, up to the cost of the State University of New York’s (SUNY) maximum in-state undergraduate tuition, at any college, university, or community-technical college in the State of New York recognized and approved by the New York State Board of Regents or State University of New York.
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 at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Last updated: Jan 05, 2024 12:29 pm EST
