Rider University offers both full and part-time studies for our student veterans, military service members, and their beneficiaries. Contact the Office of Admission at [email protected] or the Veterans and Military Affairs Office to learn more.

Steps to Apply

  1. Know Your GI Bill® and Options (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.)
  2. Obtain your Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
  3. Upload documents
  4. Apply to Rider - Refer to Continuing Education or Graduate Admissions for the requirements and deadlines that apply for your program of interest.
  5. Send ALL Transcripts including Joint Service Transcript
  6. Resume*
  7. Interview/Audition*
  8. Letters of Recommendation*
  9. Essay*
  10. Standardized Testing*

*if required

VA-ONCE Certifications

VA-ONCE is an online program Institutions of Higher Learning use to certify eligible beneficiaries for VA educational benefit programs.

If you’re an active-duty Service Member or Veteran, a member of the National Guard or Reserves, or a qualified survivor or dependent, you may be able to get help from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to pay your tuition. Rider University’s degree programs are approved under the Veterans Readjustment Benefits Act of 1966, as amended. Students filing for benefits at Rider will be responsible for filing a copy of their Certificate of Eligibility (COE) with a School Certifying Official along with a Permission to Certify (PTC) form (below). Determine if you qualify for VA education benefits through the GI Bill® program and other educational assistance programs. An application for a VA program of educational benefits is available online here. Service members, veterans, and their beneficiaries who qualify for Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) benefits may be eligible for Rider’s Yellow Ribbon program.

Discharged veterans must provide a copy of their Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD 214) in order to apply for education benefits. Copies of the DD Form 214, as well as other military records, can be obtained at the Military Personnel Records Center (MPRC) in St. Louis, a unit of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The NARA website provides instructions for submitting a request for military records.

Students who are applying for or who are receiving VA or military service benefits, must matriculate before the completion of 24 credits at Rider.  Students who have transferred from another college and received 30 or more transfer credits should matriculate before they complete, or during the semester that they complete 15 credits at Rider, in order to be eligible for certification for VA benefits.  See the Undergraduate Procedures and Policies in the academic catalog for specific benefits. 

When you enter the university or before each Fall semester students receiving VA benefits must notify a School Certifying Official of their enrollment plans for the coming academic year by completing Rider's Permission to Certify form (PDF).

Military Transcripts

Joint Services Transcript 

JST is an academically accepted document approved by the American Council on Education (ACE) to validate a service member's military occupational experience and training along with the corresponding ACE college credit recommendations. Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy: Active Duty, Reserve and Veterans are eligible for JST transcripts. If you are prior Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, or Navy, register for a JST account.

CCAF Transcript

The Community College of the Air Force is a federally-chartered degree-granting institution that serves the United States Air Force's enlisted total force. CCAF provides several options for ordering your official transcript but does not have the ability to send transcripts electronically at this time.