Veterans, Military Personnel, Dependents, and Survivors

Executive Order 13607, the Principles of Excellence, requires the Office of Financial Aid to ensure that every veteran who attends Brooklyn College understands:

  • the cost of education/attendance,
  • the costs covered by your benefits,
  • the financial aid you may qualify for,
  • your expected student-loan debt after you graduate,
  • the financial aid process and timeline, and
  • financing options and other information to help you compare aid options at different colleges.

Brooklyn College students who self-identify as U.S. veterans are assigned a dedicated financial aid adviser, Gregory Williams, who has appropriate credentialing and training in understanding the particular needs of veterans and service members.

Students may also contact the Brooklyn College Veteran and Military Programs Office by e-mail for assistance with veterans, dependents, and survivors concerns.

Below you will have access to information about:

Timeline of the Financial Aid Process

The financial aid process occurs over a 20-month cycle. The steps below represent the timeframe in which you want to address the following requirements for each semester to ensure you have your aid in place before the semester begins. The timeline walks you through the process from admission to the college through one entire cycle of the academic year. Note that certain steps are repeated each semester and continue to repeat until you graduate.

October–January

1. File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and New York State TAP application  as early as October 1 for the upcoming academic year.

  • Brooklyn College School FAFSA Code: 002687
  • TAP undergraduate school code: 1404
  • TAP graduate school code for VTA: 5205

You can still file the FAFSA after this time, but we recommend that you file as early as possible for the coming academic year. If you want to use the New York State Veterans Tuition Award, complete the New York State Veterans Supplement application after filing the TAP application.

January–April

2. Finalize your admission to Brooklyn College. Your financial aid package cannot be determined until you have been admitted to the college. (Skip this step if you are a continuing student.)

3. Check your CUNYfirst Student Center Tasks and Holds. Make sure you complete any outstanding steps for your aid. You may need to submit documents to finalize your aid for each year that you attend Brooklyn College. Follow any instructions you see on CUNYfirst.

4. Connect with staff at the Brooklyn College Veteran and Military Programs Office to learn about the GI Bill Certification Process.

5. View your financial aid package on CUNYfirst. (Refer to the CUNYfirst Student Financial Aid Guide for detailed instructions.)

April–July

6. Secure academic advisement and register for classes. All financial aid programs require you to pursue a degree (graduate or undergraduate) and be enrolled in courses.

7. Schedule an appointment with your financial aid adviser to develop a financial aid plan.

8. Follow up with the Brooklyn College Veteran and Military Programs Office to ensure that your GI Bill benefits are certified before the start of the term.

August–September

9. The fall semester begins in late August. Check CUNYfirst to view pending aid, which is aid that will be applied toward your balance before the start of the term. The GI Bill will show up as a payment to your student account when it has been posted, but it will not appear as part of your financial aid package.

10. Attend classes when the semester starts. All aid programs require you to attend your classes to be eligible.

October

11. File the FAFSA and TAP application for the next academic year, as indicated in Step 1.

November–January

12. Repeat steps 7–9 for the upcoming spring semester.

13. The spring semester begins in late January. Academic progress for New York State financial aid is reviewed before the start of the spring term. Check CUNYfirst to make sure you see your pending aid, which is aid that will be applied toward your balance before the start of the term. The GI Bill will show up as a payment to your student account when it has been posted, but it will not appear as part of your financial aid package.

14. Repeat Step 11 for the spring term.

February–March

15. Repeat steps 4–6 for next fall.

April–May

16. Registration for summer and fall opens. Repeat steps 7–9 for summer and fall terms.

17. Spring semester ends.

18. Repeats steps 10–11 for the summer term if you are also taking summer classes.

June–August

19. Summer sessions start.

20. Academic progress for federal aid and state aid programs is reviewed. Repeat steps 10–11 for the upcoming fall term.

Understanding Your Cost of Attendance (COA)

Your cost of attendance is the total estimated cost for attending Brooklyn College that is estimated by the City University of New York (CUNY). You can view the specific cost categories and amounts for the cost of attendance on the Brooklyn College website or within CUNYfirst.

Financial Aid and Financing Options

In addition to Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) educational benefits, you may be eligible for federal and state student financial aid programs. This is why we recommend you file the FAFSA and TAP applications and meet with your financial aid adviser. Below you will find a listing of DVA educational assistance programs that are potentially available to student veterans and their dependents. The non-DVA federal and state student financial aid programs that are offered at Brooklyn College to all eligible students are also potentially available to U.S. veterans. You can view our types of aid  for a complete list and description of student financial aid programs available at Brooklyn College.

You can also learn more about specific financial aid options with the U.S. Department of Education’s Aid for Military Families.

Federal Student Financial Aid Programs

Federal student financial aid programs are administered through the U.S. Department of Education. These programs are funded by Congress under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended. These programs are available to all applicants who meet the basic eligibility and income, household size, and course enrollment criteria, including service members. Aid from these programs can be used in addition to DVA educational benefits (such as the GI Bill). The first step in being considered for federal student aid is to file a FAFSA.

The following are available at Brooklyn College:

The U.S. Department of Education’s Aid for Military Families webpage is an additional resource for service members and their families to learn more about specific financial aid options.

dEPARTMENT OF VETERANs affairs education benefits

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers educational benefits to U.S. veterans, such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Montgomery GI-Bill, and the Reserve Educational Assistance Program.

Other DVA resources include the GI Bill Comparison Tool.

Students with questions about the DVA educational benefits certification process should visit the Brooklyn College Veteran and Military Programs Office for assistance.

New York State Financial Aid Programs

New York State financial aid programs are administered by the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), a New York State government entity. HESC has a dedicated Military Corner webpage that provides resources for veterans to learn about financial aid opportunities in New York State. New York State has veteran-specific financial aid awards. Some of these awards are available to service members or to the dependents/spouse of a service member.

New York State financial aid programs specific to veterans and/or their dependent and/or spouse include:

Note: You cannot use VTA with other financial aid programs that are earmarked exclusively for tuition costs. Therefore, you can not apply for VTA if you are a student veteran who is receiving 100% of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which would cover your full tuition at Brooklyn College. However, if you are veteran receiving a partial Post-9/11 GI Bill payment, you may be able to receive a partial VTA award. However, you can receive a VTA award and the Montgomery GI Bill at the same time. VTA requires that all of your courses be applicable toward your program of study. If you are eligible for both the Post-9/11 GI Bill and New York State VTA, we recommend you meet with the financial aid POC for a financial aid planning session to maximize the use of the aid available to you. For example, a student can use his or her Post-9/11 GI Bill and, if eligible, federal Pell grant, to cover undergraduate costs and then consider using VTA to assist with graduate school costs.

Other Types of Financial Aid

  • Scholarships—Brooklyn College offers institutional scholarships.
  • Alternative Private Educational Loans—These are loans that are offered through third-party private educational lenders. The Brooklyn College Office of Financial Aid cannot recommend a particular lender (see the CUNY Model Code of Conduct (PDF)).
  • The Office of Financial Aid recommends that you explore other financing options before considering an alternative educational loan.
  • You can conduct an unbiased search for private educational  loans using the ELM Select lender comparison tool.

Tuition Payment Plan

CUNY, through the Bursar’s Office, offers a tuition payment plan option administered through the educational financial services company NelNet. There is a fee per semester for enrollment in the plan.

Financial Aid Points of Contact (POC)

The Office of Financial Aid has two full-time staff members with appropriate training and credentialing who are designated points of contact (POC) for all veterans attending Brooklyn College. Both POCs received Military Cultural Competency Training through the Jewish Board of Family Services’ Home Again: Veterans and Families Initiative in April 2013. The training has the equivalent of six credits of continuing education units.

  • The primary POC is Gregory Williams, assistant director for special programs.
  • The secondary POC is Moshe Axelrod, associate director for financial aid.

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