FAQ

Am I considered a Veteran?

  • There are specific rules regarding Veteran status. Chances are, if you have a DD 214 ʺCertificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty,ʺ you're considered a veteran.  More information is available here. We also have veterans from countries across the world represented at Columbia Business School

Who can join the veteran’s club?

  • Any CBS student can join the Vetrera’s Club. Current members and alumni include U.S. military veterans, former members of the greater U.S. national security apparatus (Department of State, Intelligence Community, etc.), international military veterans, other service-oriented professionals (Teach for America, etc.), and allies of those who have served.

What does the veteran’s club do?

  • The CBS Veteran’s Club is the veteran student affinity group for CBS. Our mission is to support military veterans, other service-oriented professionals, and allies via advocacy, skills development, and a robust network of veterans in order to enable our members to thrive in the next chapters of their careers.

    • Advocacy: From prospective applicant to alumni, the Veteran’s Club advocates for members by advising CBS leadership on concerns and circumstances unique to veterans and championing veterans’ successes.

    • Development: The Veteran’s Club provides mentorship and opportunities for members to sharpen their leadership skills and develop new business skills beyond the classroom.

    • Networking: The Veteran’s Club fosters esprit de corps and networking among its current members and alumni, as well as helping to bridge the civilian-military divide within the broader community.

Am I eligible for the GI Bill and or

Yellow Ribbon Program?

  • You will need to submit an application for education benefits with the VA to determine this. If you are 100% GI Bill eligible and are not active duty, then you will be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

What financial assistance is available to u.s. veterans at cbs?

  • For the 2023 - 2024 academic year, the GI Bill tuition payment is 24,476.79 and the BAH is $3,669 for each month you are enrolled. This applies to veterans who qualify for 100% of the GI Bill. The tuition payment is pro-rated lower depending on the level of eligibility. The Yellow Ribbon Program is currently $15,000 per year, which is matched by $15,000 per year from the VA for a total of $30,000 per year. The Yellow Ribbon Program funding is not available at eligibility levels below 100%.

  • U.S. military veterans might also be eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation, a program designed to assist veterans who have a disability rating of at least 10% or a memorandum rating of 20%. The program includes full payment of tuition and fees (except health insurance), plus a monthly stipend.

  • Veterans Tuition Awards are offered to New York State residents who have served in the US Armed Forces and are currently veterans. Award amounts for 2019-20 are $3,535 per term for full-time students.

  • The Advanced Civil Schooling Scholarship Fund provides support to participants in the Army’s Advanced Civil Schooling Program. Amounts vary depending on the amount of sponsorship by the Army. If selected, Columbia can assist by covering the gap between the cost of tuition and the sponsorship.  Applicants are notified of eligibility after admission.

  • The Paul Ferri Scholarship provides financial assistance to Columbia Business School students to supplement their Yellow Ribbon funding. Ferri Scholars are chosen from among Yellow Ribbon eligible students.

  • For the most current information on funding specific to U.S. military veterans at CBS, please visit the CBS Admissions Office page.

How would you describe CBS

culture?

  • Culture is difficult to convey through a website. We highly recommend visiting the school. CBS is incredibly collaborative without being cut-throat. It is an extremely supportive community that values the diversity of the student body. Your fellow classmates and the staff and faculty are what make CBS an awesome experience.

How has CBS, the Career

Management Center (CMC), and the

veteran’s club supported you in

finding a job?

  • There are many resources at CBS to help with students' job searches. The CMC has decades of knowledge and experience with the student job seeking experience as well as dozens of professionals to assist in a myriad of ways. The school has a web-based management system for the companies that choose to formally recruit on campus and plenty of information regarding the 'off-campus' recruiting (often referred to as the enterprise job search). 

  • In addition to what CBS offers, the Veteran’s Club is able to leverage it’s current members and alumni across industry to provide additional connection to those recruiting. More importantly, the Veteran’s Club serves as another avenue for coaching and mentorship to it’s members currently engaged in recruiting.

How does admissions at CBS work?

  • CBS has a variety of MBA admissions options and programs (MBA and EMBA) that provide flexibility for active duty, reserve, and veteran servicemembers. For the CBS MBA, applicants can apply during the (binding) early decision round or the regular decision round; admissions is done on a ‘rolling,’ which means that a determination is made on applications roughly in the order that they are submitted.

  • The Deferred Enrollment Program is a unique opportunity for service members to be admitted to CBS during their final year of their undergraduate or other graduate program and defer their enrollment in CBS for up to five years. So, cadets and midshipmen can gain admission to CBS before they have earned their commissions; enlisted servicemembers can graduate with their bachelor’s degree, gain corporate work experience, and be guaranteed a spot in a CBS program in two to five years.

When is the best time to visit?

  • We would love to host you. More importantly, we want to ensure that you get a chance to see and experience the school. Please plan your visit when classes are in session (not during a break/vacation) and on a Monday through Thursday. For most students, there are no classes on Fridays. So in order to experience the class environment at Columbia, avoid scheduling your visit on a Friday.

I always wore a uniform.  What type

of clothes do I need to buy now?

  • We recommend having at least two formal business attire outfits prior to starting school for formal occasions and recruiting events. 

Where can I find more information?

  • Introduce yourself, visit campus, or keep reading at Columbia University's veteran website.