Military Benefits and Funding Options
When making the decision to go back to school, many students have questions regarding how to pay for college. The good news is military-affiliated students have more funding options available than most students. Most funding is dependent on your current military status and specifics of your service. Check out the top ways military-affiliated students pay for college and their frequently asked questions.
Active-Duty Servicemembers Pay for College With:
- Military Tuition Assistance
- Post-9/11 GI Bill®
- Federal financial aid
- Grants and scholarships from Yellow Ribbon schools like NU
- Grants and scholarships from local bases or other military organizations*
Veterans Pay for College With:
- Post-9/11 GI Bill®
- Montgomery GI Bill®
- Federal financial aid
- Grants and scholarships from Yellow Ribbon schools like NU
- Grants and scholarships from local bases or other military organizations*
*Varies by branch/base
FAQs About Funding Your College Education
General Questions
Where do I get my military transcripts?
Branch | Military Status | Official Transcript | Helpful Links |
---|---|---|---|
Army | Active Duty, Reserves, National Guard, and veterans* | ACE Registry | JST |
Navy | Active Duty, Reserves, and veterans | ACE Registry | JST |
Marines | Active Duty, Reserves, and veterans* | ACE Registry | JST |
Coast Guard | Active Duty, Reserves, and veterans* | ACE Registry | JST |
Air Force | Active Duty, Reserves, National Guard, and veterans* | Air University |
*Note for veterans: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard veterans who served prior to 1976 and Air Force veterans who served prior to 1972 should request their DD 214 or Certificate of Release or Discharge from Activity Duty from the National Archives.
Tuition Assistance Questions
GI Bill® Questions
Scholarship Questions
Military Tuition Scholarship – Scholarship of up to $2,500 is available to military personnel, including active duty, reservists, National Guard members, their spouses, and their dependents. The scholarship is intended to benefit educationally and economically disadvantaged personnel and their family members who have demonstrated financial need.
Veterans Victory Scholarship – Scholarship of up to $5,000 is awarded to veterans based on academic or community achievement and financial need. This award is considered a “last money” scholarship and is designed to supplement military GI Bill® Chapter 31 and Chapter 33 educational benefits when those benefits are exhausted during the current National University degree program.
Veterans, Spouses, and Dependents Scholarships – This scholarship is a 25% tuition reduction toward associate, bachelor’s, master’s degrees* for veterans and their family members who are not using, or do not have access to the Post-9/11 GI Bill® or Fry Scholarship. It may be used by spouses and dependents in conjunction with the Dependents’ Educational Assistance (Chapter 35) or with the Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapters 30, 1606, or 1607) when the servicemember is no longer actively serving (and therefore not eligible for the active service tuition rate).
*Cannot be used toward nursing, doctoral, or credential programs.
Financial Aid Questions
- Complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form
- Review your financial aid offer
- Work with your school’s office of financial aid to apply your financial aid funding to your account balance
For more information about how financial aid works, click here.
Contact Us
Still have questions? Contact our military admissions team at [email protected].
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 Web site at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/index.asp.