Amherst's War Memorial - dedicated 1946 by John J. McCloy, Class of 1916, Assistant Secretary of War during World War II - bears the names of Amherst alumni who lost their lives in combat during World Wars I and II.

U.S. Veteran and Service Member Applicants

Amherst is seeking to enroll qualified students who are actively serving or those who have previously served in the U.S. Armed Forces. As part of our commitment, Amherst College participates in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Yellow Ribbon Program. For qualifying admitted students, Amherst does not cap Yellow Ribbon spaces and offers an uncapped maximum school contribution per student. Should you fully qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program and choose to use your benefits, your tuition at Amherst will be 100% free. Amherst College financial aid is also available as an alternative to using the GI Bill® and as a result it is common for U.S. veterans not to use their V.A. educational benefits while attending. All applicants are encouraged to apply for need-based financial aid through the Office of Financial Aid.  

To learn more about Amherst's past and present relationship with the military, read our "Veterans' Days" article in Amherst's alumni magazine. 

Visiting Amherst through our U.S. Service Member Travel Grant  Current or former members of the U.S. military are encouraged to consider visiting Amherst College during the academic year with the support of our U.S. Service Member Travel Grant. Those selected for our travel grant will receive fully-funded, round-trip transportation (within the continental U.S.), overnight accommodations, meals, and local transportation. This on-campus experience will provide an excellent opportunity to attend classes, speak with some current military-connected students, and meet with admission and financial aid staff, as well as explore the campus, town and surrounding area. Interested students should submit our online U.S. Service Member Travel Grant application.

Applying to Amherst as a U.S. Veteran or Service Member   Most well-qualified veterans and service members who have enrolled at Amherst began their academic careers at community colleges or other educational institutions.  U.S. veterans or service members interested in transfer admission to Amherst should consult our information pages for transfer applicants and our Transferring to Amherst information sheet to learn more about the transfer requirements and transfer application process.  Alternatively, qualified U.S. veterans or service members may also apply to Amherst as first-year students. All U.S. veteran and service member applicants are eligible for our Quick Pass application fee waiver.

Special Information for U.S. Veteran or Service Member Applicants   In general, military-connected students follow the same first-year or transfer application process as other applicants. 

However, if you are currently engaged in active duty in the U.S. military and you are consequently experiencing difficulty obtaining two academic evaluations for your application, please contact Alexandra Hurd, Associate Dean of Admission, to discuss possible alternatives.

Application Fee Waiver  The college is proud to offer an application fee waiver to any veteran or service member interested in applying through our Quick Pass fee waiver.

Questions?  For more information about applying as a military-connected student, please contact Associate Dean of Admission Alexandra Hurd at 413-542-2328.


Amherst College is a proud Warrior-Scholar Project host campus.        
The Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) empowers enlisted military veterans by providing them with a skill bridge that enables a successful transition from the battlefield to the classroom. WSP seeks to maximize educational opportunities for enlisted veterans by making them informed consumers of education. Through WSP's "academic boot camp" -- an immersive, week-long residential program for veterans returning to school -- participants gain the confidence they will need to successfully complete a rigorous four-year undergraduate program at a top-tier school. Room, board and course materials are provided by WSP and are free of cost to program participants. For more information, please visit Warrior-Scholar Project.

In August 2017, Amherst College proudly hosted our inaugural Warrior-Scholar Project. Read more about what went on that week, recounted in Amherst's "Enlisting Education" article and featured in a nationally broadcast segment of "CBS This Morning."


Yellow Ribbon Program  As part of our commitment to enrolling U.S. veterans, Amherst College participates in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Yellow Ribbon Program. The Yellow Ribbon Program is a provision of the Post-9/11 GI Bill® that allows students to attend schools costing more than the state tuition cap. For qualifying admitted students, Amherst does not cap Yellow Ribbon spaces and offers an uncapped maximum school contribution per student. For additional information about the Yellow Ribbon Program at Amherst College, please the Office of Financial Aid at finaid@amherst.edu.        
‘‘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."


Leadership Scholar Program  Amherst College is a college partner of the United States Marine Corps Leadership Scholar Program. LSP will guide you through the application and admission process and assist you in meeting the entrance requirements for college. If you are a transitioning active-duty Marine, you may be eligible to participate.


Service to School   Amherst College is a proud partner of VetLink, a subsidiary of Service to School (S2S), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides free application counseling, peer-to-peer guidance, and networking support to all U.S. military service members and veterans at no cost to the applicant. The mission of S2S mission is to help every transitioning military veteran gain admission to the best college or graduate school possible.