Veterans Financial Aid Initiative

Supporting Brown’s Commitment to Veterans

Veterans who apply to Brown demonstrate great curiosity about the world, consistent dedication to skill development, and a desire to serve others. Many want to pursue leadership in the next phase of their careers, and the University wants to support them. Because student veterans often weren't afforded the opportunity to take a direct route from high school to college, Brown’s veteran initiatives take into account the unique circumstances and challenges these students face. 

In 2019, Brown announced plans to double the number of U.S. military veterans enrolled as Brown undergraduates by 2024. The University announced in the 2023-24 academic year that it had met that goal a year early, with 49 student veterans enrolled, up from 26 in the 2020-21 academic year. To sustain this progress and ensure talented student veterans view Brown as an option for higher education, the University will continue to:

• Implement need-blind admission for prospective students who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. (These students are often admitted under Brown’s Resumed Undergraduate Education program or as transfers from another institution, both of which take a need-aware approach to admission.)
• Eliminate the estimated family contribution for student-veterans and replace it with scholarship
• Strengthen recruiting through partnership with Service to School and other programs
• Make standardized test scores optional for veterans in the admission process
• Maintain a strong alumni veteran-to-student veteran mentoring program and peer-to-peer veteran mentoring program 
• Increase the amount of the Yellow Ribbon Match with the Veterans Administration, which combined with their general VA educational benefit, covers the full cost of tuition and fees for student-veterans

Unlike traditional first-year students, veterans applying to Brown are at different stages in their lives. Many come from low-income backgrounds, have families to support, or are dealing with physical and mental health concerns. As a result, a robust financial aid package is often the single most important factor for military veterans considering Brown. 

The Veterans Financial Aid Initiative has raised more than $28.5 million* to supplement the resources offered through the Post-9/11 GI Bill Yellow Ribbon Program, and this support enables Brown to meet 100% of the total cost of attendance for qualified veterans.

Gifts to support student veterans ensure that Brown does not miss out on the breadth and depth of perspectives that these leaders bring to the student body. The continuation of this initiative aligns with the aims of the University’s Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, and its campus-wide commitment to supporting meaningful inclusion throughout the Brown community.

*as of October 2023

For information about the Veterans Financial Aid Initiative, contact:

Shelley Roth P’17, P’20
Director of Development for Academic Initiatives
+1 (401) 863-6162
shelley_roth@brown.edu