Yale College’s connections to the military have been long-standing, and we welcome applications from veterans of the U.S. armed forces. Veterans bring experience and perspective that enhance discussions and learning both inside and outside of the classroom. Many student veterans at Yale took college classes while on active duty and/or pursued college study at community colleges or four-year institutions after discharge. While most former service members wishing to pursue undergraduate study at Yale apply through the Eli Whitney Students Program (EWSP) for nontraditional students, eligible students may instead choose to apply as first-year applicants or transfer applicants. This Yale News story, profiling two student veterans and an active duty Marine, provides insights into what it is like to be a student veteran at Yale. A Yale education is very affordable for veterans as Yale is a participant in the Yellow Ribbon program. Veterans may choose to replace their military education benefits with Yale’s need-based financial aid. Yale grants application fee waiver requests from candidates who are serving or have served in the U.S. military.
Yale is one of the first colleges to partner with Service to School, an organization that supports veterans in their college search process. The Warrior-Scholar Project, founded by Yale alumni, offers free summer academic workshops at college campuses throughout the country to enlisted veterans planning on attending college. Yale encourages servicemembers and veterans to seek out both opportunities.
Veterans and active military personnel with questions about undergraduate programs in Yale College or the undergraduate admissions process should email Patricia Wei, Director of Veterans Outreach, at patricia.wei@yale.edu.
Resources for Yale Veterans:
- Yale Military Benefits and Financial Aid
- Yellow Ribbon Program
- Jack Beecher, Veteran Liaison
- Yale Veterans Association
- Free Yale shuttle to West Haven VA Hospital
Of Special Interest to Veterans:
- NPR’s “All Things Considered” interviews 52 year-old former Navy Seal James Hatch about his first days as a Yale student
- Three students reflect on their military service and life now at Yale
- Air Force veteran Robert Henderson YC ’1 awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
- Yale professor Marla Geha received a $1 million grant to enhance the science portion of the Warrior Scholar Project Watch an interview with Professor Geha.
- The Yale Alumni Magazine conducted a Q&A with Yale President Peter Salovey in April 2017 about WWI, Yale, and a Tradition of Service.
- Air Force veteran Tony Grant expects graduation to feel surreal.