Military and Veteran Students

Penn State provides many resources for applicants and students who are military and veteran service members whether they are attending residential or online programs.

Discounted Application Fee

Veterans and military service members receive a discounted rate of $40 on their degree or certificate application fee. This represents more than a 35 percent decrease from the standard $65 application fee. Starting in spring 2026, this discounted fee will also apply to applicants who are family members and spouses of military personnel and veterans eligible for in-state tuition rates (see below).

In-State Tuition Rate for Veterans, Spouses, and Children

Penn State offers in-state tuition rates to the following individuals:

• all veteran students, their spouses, and their dependents, even if they reside outside of Pennsylvania
• guard/reservists/active-duty members, their spouses, and dependent children, even if they reside outside of Pennsylvania
• civilian personnel, their spouses, and dependent children employed at a Department of Defense facility who are transferred to Pennsylvania by the Department of Defense and who reside in Pennsylvania

To receive the in-state tuition rate, Penn State must verify an applicant’s veteran or dependent status. Interested applicants can learn more on the Office of Veterans Programs website. Students who are using Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits automatically receive the in-state tuition and are not required to complete this process.

This in-state tuition rate was implemented after the October 2023 passage of Pennsylvania Act P.L. 60, No. 14. Under this legislation, “veteran” is defined as “an individual who served in the United States Armed Forces, including a reserve component or the National Guard and who was discharged or released from service under conditions other than dishonorable. The term includes an individual described in legislation 38 U.S.C. 3319(b), relating to authority to transfer unused education benefits to family members.

For Questions about Funding and Tuition Costs

You will undoubtedly have questions about tuition costs and available financial aid. The best offices that can assist you with military and veteran student questions are:

For those utilizing federal tuition assistance benefits and wishing to transfer credits from an external institution, please declare your intentions to your graduate program adviser once enrolled. You should also refer to Graduate Council policy on Transfer Credit GCAC-309 for further information.

Deployment and Relocation

If you are ordered to relocate or deploy, and you cannot complete a schedule of courses for a given semester, you may request a short-term absence, extended absence, leave of absence, or partially cancelled schedule. This applies to any active-duty service members or activated reserve-component members of the U.S. Armed Forces and/or spouses/domestic partners of active-duty members or activated reserve-component members.