Veterans benefits and financial aid

Thank you for your service. We encourage you to apply for MIT financial aid to see if you can supplement your VA education benefits.

Financial aid at MIT

All students who apply for financial aid and fill out the CSS Profile⁠01 The <a href=" https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org ">CSS Profile</a> is an online financial aid application provided by the College Board and is used by private institutions, including MIT, to award institutional financial aid.   are automatically considered for an MIT Scholarship. If you are eligible for financial aid—meaning 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.

Our scholarships are awarded solely on financial need and come from our endowment, gifts from MIT alumni and friends, and MIT general funds. About 60% of our undergraduates receive MIT Scholarships.

We consider you an independent student

As a Veteran of the U.S. armed forces, you are considered independent of parental financial support. 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.

Please note: When filling out the CSS Profile, please put $0 for any parent income information, and we will take care of the rest.

VA benefits are considered outside scholarships

All VA education benefits, with the exception of Yellow Ribbon funds,⁠02 Actually, one half of your Yellow Ribbon funds are considered an outside scholarship. MIT provides $5,400 annually and the other half is matched by the VA. The half from the VA is considered an outside scholarship.   are treated like outside scholarships, including any housing and book stipends.

Funds for housing and books are sent directly to you as opposed to being sent to MIT. You are expected to use those funds to pay for your books and housing—on or off campus—during your time at MIT. Should your housing cost more than the amount we budget for you on your financial aid award, please reach out to your financial aid counselor directly, as we may be able to help.

How an outside scholarship works with your MIT Scholarship

MIT considers outside scholarships as additional money that you have available to reduce your student contribution.⁠03 The amount that a student can reasonably be expected to contribute toward their own educational expenses. The typical amount most students are expected to contribute is $5,400 per year, through summer savings and student employment during the academic year. As you are considered an independent, your <strong>total contribution</strong>, depending on your financial circumstances, may be more than the $5,400 student contribution.   Any additional money from your VA education benefits, beyond the amount of your student contribution, will reduce your MIT Scholarship. Learn more about how outside scholarships work with your MIT Scholarship.

To summarize, your VA education benefits impact your financial aid as follows:

  1. They are treated as outside scholarships and must be accounted for in your financial aid award.
  2. They are first used to cover your student contribution, typically $5,400.
  3. If your outside award is more than the student contribution, the remainder reduces your MIT scholarship.

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.

Sample award

We know all of this can be confusing, so here’s an example to help. Please note this example does not use the actual cost of attendance.

Questions? Talk to us first!

We’re happy to help you understand how your MIT financial aid may change based on your VA education benefits. Contact us at va@mit.edu or call us at 617.258.8600.

Office of Student Veteran Success

MIT also has an office of Student Veteran Success (SVS), run by program administrator Liam Gale, who served in the Air Force for nearly eight years. SVS serves as a direct point of contact for students, 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 CSS Profile is an online financial aid application provided by the College Board and is used by private institutions, including MIT, to award institutional financial aid.⁠ ↑
  2. Actually, one half of your Yellow Ribbon funds are considered an outside scholarship. MIT provides $5,400 annually and the other half is matched by the VA. The half from the VA is considered an outside scholarship.⁠ ↑
  3. The amount that a student can reasonably be expected to contribute toward their own educational expenses. The typical amount most students are expected to contribute is $5,400 per year, through summer savings and student employment during the academic year. As you are considered an independent, your total contribution, depending on your financial circumstances, may be more than the $5,400 student contribution.⁠ ↑