Fletcher Veterans

Welcome to Fletcher! As a 37-year veteran of the U.S. Navy myself and the former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, I am very proud of ALL of our veterans who pass through the doors of this marvelous school of international affairs. I believe that your experience in the armed forces will enhance your studies while at The Fletcher School, and hopefully, will contribute to finding just the right fit for you after you graduate.
As an alumnus and former dean of this fine institution, I'm confident that the education you receive at Fletcher, alongside the people you meet - from professors who are at the tops of their fields, to fellow students from myriad backgrounds, to the incredible alumni network, and the dedicated and hardworking staff - will serve you well as you surge forward on your personal, educational, and career journeys.
Admiral James Stavridis, USN, (Ret)
Dean Emeritus, The Fletcher School
Your Eligibility for VA Educational Benefits
At Fletcher, the majority of our current VA students are studying using the Chapter 33: Post 9.11 GI Bill benefit
In order to obtain more information regarding your eligibility for other VA educational benefits, such as Chapter 30: Montgomery Bill, please refer the Department of Veterans Affairs website.
Using Your VA Benefit for Your Fletcher Degree Program
New Students
Once your VA benefit application is approved and you receive the Certificate of Eligibility statement from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, you need to complete the following steps to certify the use of your benefit for the first time at Fletcher:
- Send a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility to a Fletcher School VA Certifying officers at Fletcher-VASCO@tufts.edu.
- A school certifying officer will evaluate and verify your VA benefit details and certify your tuition, fees and Yellow Ribbon award through the VA ONCE database.
- Provisional credit information of your VA benefit will be sent to the Tufts University Bursar's Office based on your Certificate of Eligibility information. The amount of the expected VA benefit will be reflected in your university account as "Pending Credit."
- After receiving your certifying information, the VA transfers your educational benefit directly to your Tufts University financial account.
Continuing Students
- At the end of the semester, students receive a "VA Academic Status Report Form." Students need to submit the form to Fletcher-VASCO@tufts.edu to update his/her academic progression as well as the remaining VA educational benefit duration.
- Based on the information on the form as well as your VA benefits eligibility, a school certifying official will certify your tuition, fees and Yellow Ribbon award (if applicable) for the upcoming semester through the VA ONCE database.
- A school certifying official will then request that the Tufts University Bursar's Office enter a provisional credit of the VA benefit amount for each eligible student.
- After receiving the certifying information, the VA will transfer the educational benefit directly to the student's Tufts account. It will be listed as "VA BENEFIT." If the student is eligible to receive the Yellow Ribbon award, it will be listed as "Fletcher Scholarship."
Educational Benefit
Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) Payment Rates can be found here.
Yellow Ribbon
The current Yellow Ribbon Scholarship award at Tufts is $5,000 annually for students enrolled in the the Fletcher School. Additional information can be found here.
Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018: In compliance with S2248 PL 115-407 Section 103, veterans and eligible dependents who have notified Tufts that they are using VA educational benefits such as the Post 9/11 GI Bill will not be imposed a late fee, be denied access to facilities, or receive another penalty due to a late payment of tuition and/or fees from the VA directly to Tufts. This applies if payments have not been received within 90 days of the beginning of the term and applies only to the amount of the expected VA payment.
Other benefits and financial aid:
- Montgomery GI Bill: https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/?from=explore.va.gov
- Veteran’s Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Service https://www.benefits.va.gov/vocrehab/
- Survivors and Dependents Assistance: https://www.va.gov/education/survivor-dependent-benefits/
- Pat Tillman Foundation Scholarships: https://pattillmanfoundation.org/
Useful Links
- Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Regional Processing Offices
- U.S. Department of Education: Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- Federal Student Aid
- Tufts University Financial Services
- Consolidated Academic Catalog: Several of the various pages on the Fletcher site have been consolidated into this single document.
(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://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.)
Useful links
- New England area healthcare system
- 10-10EZ, the online application for health benefits
- Services and programs available to veterans residing in Massachusetts
- Other benefits offered by the state of Massachusetts
- VA medical centers in Massachusetts
- VA hospitals abroad
For questions regarding health benefits, please contact:
- Steven Shepard, OEF/OIF/OND Transition Patient Advocate, Department of Veterans Affairs, 617-894-7684
- Susan Keating, Insurance Coordinator, Tufts Health Services, 617-627-3349
- GI Bill Hotline: 888-GIBILL-1 (Within the U.S.) OR 001-716-857-3196 (Outside the U.S.)
Fletcher School participates in a wide variety of programs that offer substantial financial assistance to US active-duty service members, as well as US veterans and their families:
- Advanced Civil Schooling (ACS) Program
- Foreign Area Officers (FAOs)
- Expanded Graduate School Program
- General Wayne Downing Scholarship Program
- Navy Political Military Scholarship Program (POL-MIL)
- Fleet Scholar Education Program (FSEP) - The program is geared for junior and mid-level unrestricted Line (URL) and Information Warfare Community (IWC) officers. FSEP selectees can choose any accredited graduate school in the continental U.S., Alaska, or Hawaii and attend for up to 24 months
- Arthur S. Moreau Scholarship
- US Navy Government Voucher Program
- Marine Corps - One mid-career MA selected (not sure if this has a name)
- Chief of Staff Air Force Prestigious PhD Program
- ISSP Military Fellows
- Commissioned Officers with Graduate School Option (GRADSO)
- GoArmy Tuition Assistance (TA)
- Army Performance-Based Graduate Incentive Program
- Strategic Thinkers Program, US Department of Defense