1. Definitions
1.1 Veteran Those who were in active military service (which includes basic training) and were released under a condition other than “dishonorable.”
1.2 Military Personnel Persons currently serving in the armed forces of the United States, whether on active duty or reserve or in the National Guard.
2. Admission, Readmission, and Enrollment
2.1 Veterans with a high school diploma or GED shall be accepted at one of the colleges of CUNY, subject to space availability.
2.2 Veterans with no previous CUNY college experience shall be permitted to file applications for admission at any time prior to the date that registration is scheduled to begin, irrespective of University’s deadlines for filing such applications.
2.3 Veterans whose high school averages qualify them for admission may be enrolled as non-matriculated students if they fail to meet admissions application deadlines and space is not available for them as matriculated students. Those veterans shall be enrolled as matriculated students the next semester and shall receive academic credit for courses they completed as non-matriculated students.
2.4 When veterans’ applications lack supporting data at the time of scheduled registration, those veterans, subject to space availability, shall be admitted pending receipt of such supporting data, provided, however, that they have presented evidence of a high school diploma or GED.
2.4.1 Upon receipt of the supporting documentation to complete their applications, veterans shall be placed in full matriculation if they meet the admission requirements of the college or if they meet the college’s academic standards for continued matriculation at the end of the aforementioned semester.
2.4.2 Veterans admitted under section 2.4 shall forfeit their matriculated status if they fail to provide the documentation required by the college to complete the admissions application or if they fail to meet the college’s academic standards for continued matriculation.
2.5 Admitted veterans who return from active duty at any time during the term will be given the opportunity to audit courses without credit.
2.6 Admitted veterans who return from active duty after the completion of their colleges’ registration period shall be permitted to enroll without late registration fee.
2.7 Admitted veterans who are former CUNY students who had been academically dismissed from a college of CUNY shall be granted readmission to that college but placed on probationary status.
2.8 Veterans applying to graduate degree programs or applying for graduate non-matriculated status should apply directly to the college that they wish to attend.
3. Academic Credit for Students Called to Active Duty
3.1 A student who is called to active duty in the armed forces of the United States or National Guard should be given every consideration around either making up the work for the course, obtaining an Incomplete, or being given the grade that he or she has earned at the time that he or she is called to duty.
3.2 At each college, the appropriated committee or other designated authority shall be empowered to grant the remaining number of credits required for graduation to a member of the graduating class who lacks twelve or fewer credits in elective courses to complete the requirements for the degree for those called to active duty in the armed forces of the United States. Credits should be applied from the service members JST (Joint Service Transcript) as MILT elective credit.
3.3 Colleges shall encourage students who enter military service to maintain their status as students by availing themselves of such opportunities as may be offered to them (by the colleges, by other accredited colleges, and/or by service agencies) to continue their studies while in military service.
4. Academic Credit For Military Training and Experience
4.1 CUNY shall adopt the American Council on Education (ACE) guidelines in evaluating transfer credit for military courses and experience. College credit may be awarded up to maximum of forty-five credits (at senior colleges) and thirty credits (at Community Colleges) in specific subject matter area or general electives for the satisfactory completion of Military Service, Experience and Military Training Courses.
4.2 The Director of Transfer Courses and Information in CUNY Central shall review military transcripts based on ACE guidelines and issue recommendations for course equivalences to individual colleges.
4.3 Individual colleges shall make their own decisions about awarding transfer credits and will submit explanations when they disagree with recommendations issued by CUNY Central.
4.4 Credit for Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (“DANTES”), Subject Standardized Tests (“DSST”) and College Level Examination Program (“CLEP”) examinations shall be evaluated by CUNY college academic departments that award CLEP credits. Credit for satisfactory completion of tests and/or examinations shall be awarded where applicable toward the degree the veteran is pursuing.
4.5 The following military records shall be used by college academic departments to verify successful completion of military service, experience and military training courses:
- Army/American Council on Education Registry Transcript System (“AARTS”).
- Sailor/Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcript (“SMART”).
- Community College for the Air Force (“CCAF”) transcript.
- Coast Guard Institute Military Education Transcript.
- DD Form 295, Application for the Evaluation of Learning Experiences During Military Service. Military Education offices can provide this form to active-duty and reservists. This form must be certified by an authorized commissioned officer or his/her designee.
- DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge for Active Duty.
4.6 The Office of the University Registrar should maintain a central repository of college decisions on credit awards, and make that repository available to student applicants.
4.7 Credits for military training accepted at one CUNY college shall be accepted by other CUNY colleges without exception for veterans who transfer within CUNY.
5. Application Fee Waiver for Veterans
5.1 Veterans shall be eligible for an application fee waiver for both undergraduate and graduate programs at CUNY. The instructions for undergraduates requesting this waiver shall be posted on the CUNY website. In order to receive their application fee waiver, veterans applying to graduate programs should contact the Graduate Admissions Office of the college(s) to which they are applying.
5.2 Veterans shall also be exempt from paying a commitment deposit for both undergraduate and graduate programs at CUNY. Upon acceptance of veterans for admission, colleges shall provide veterans with information concerning this exemption.
6. Fees for Military Personnel Stationed in New York State and their families
6.1 For the purpose of calculating tuition and fee charges, military personnel stationed in New York State, their spouses, partners in a civil union, or registered domestic partners, and their dependent children, shall be considered residents of New York State.