Please note:

Student Financial Services will be closed on Monday, October 12, in observance of Indigenous Peoples Day.

Your undergraduate VA benefits

We work with Veterans of the U.S. armed forces as well as their qualified dependents to help them navigate the VA education benefits they may be eligible to receive as MIT students.

Your eligibility for VA benefits

As a Veteran of the U.S. armed forces or a qualified dependent of a Veteran, you may be eligible for VA benefits programs that can reduce the cost of attending MIT. You may also qualify for more than one program.

In order to receive full benefits, you have to be enrolled at MIT full-time. To be considered full-time by the VA, undergraduate students must be enrolled in 36 units during fall and spring terms, and 12 units over MIT’s Independent Activities Period (IAP).

Carefully review each VA benefit program, as they each offer different resources and  have varying eligibility requirements. In some instances, your initial benefits decision may be irrevocable, so make sure you understand your eligibility before making a final choice.

List of VA benefits programs for undergraduates →

Your VA benefits impact your financial aid

We encourage all students who receive VA education benefits to apply for MIT financial aid, as you may be eligible to supplement your VA benefits. If your financial need exceeds your VA education benefits, we will award you an MIT Scholarship, which is a grant you don’t have to repay.

For Veterans…

As a Veteran, you are considered independent of parental financial support. This means that when you apply for aid, your financial need will be calculated according to your individual income and assets, without regard to your parents’ financial circumstances.

As an independent student, your total student contribution may be higher than the typical $5,400, depending on your financial circumstances. Please put $0 for any parent income information on the CSS Profile component of the financial aid application process.

For dependents…

If you receive VA education benefits as the dependent of a Veteran, we consider you a dependent for financial aid purposes. This means that when you apply for aid, your financial need will be calculated with consideration of your family’s financial situation.

For both Veterans and dependents…

Whether you’re a Veteran or a dependent, VA education benefits affect your MIT financial aid in the same way:

  1. VA benefits are first used to cover your student contribution.⁠01 The amount you’re expected to contribute toward your own educational expenses. For undergraduates, this is typically $5,400 per year, made up of a summer savings expectation and student employment during the academic year.  
  2. VA benefits are considered outside scholarships, including any housing and book stipends received directly from the VA. All VA education benefits (with the exception of the Yellow Ribbon Program,⁠⁠02 Half of your Yellow Ribbon award (the portion matched by the VA) is considered an outside scholarship; the other half, provided directly by MIT, is not.⁠   are considered outside scholarships that reduce your student contribution.
  3. Your MIT Scholarship will NOT be reduced if your total housing and book stipends are more than what MIT uses in our cost of attendance. Any remaining outside scholarship amount greater than the student contribution WILL reduce your MIT Scholarship.
  4. If you reduce your course load and your MIT charges are lower as a result, your financial aid, including your VA education benefits, will also be reduced.

Questions?

If you have questions about how your VA education benefits combine with MIT financial aid, please contact us at va@mit.edu or 617.258.8600. We also offer virtual drop-in hours; see our contact page for current times.

MIT Student Veteran Success

MIT Student Veteran Success (SVS) is run by program administrator Liam Gale, who served in the Air Force for nearly eight years. SVS is MIT’s dedicated resource for providing support, advocacy, and programming designed to improve the experience of veterans, students currently serving in the military, and military families who are studying at MIT. To reach SVS, please email veteransuccess@mit.edu.

  1. The amount you’re expected to contribute toward your own educational expenses. For undergraduates, this is typically $5,400 per year, made up of a summer savings expectation and student employment during the academic year.⁠ ↑
  2. Half of your Yellow Ribbon award (the portion matched by the VA) is considered an outside scholarship; the other half, provided directly by MIT, is not.⁠⁠ ↑