Veterans Benefits

The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 10, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Your tuition and related fee payments from the VA will be prorated if you are eligible for less than 100 percent; this includes housing and book stipends. This chapter provides up to 36 months of education benefits. Tuition and related fees will be paid directly to Berklee and credited to a student's account. A monthly housing stipend (BAH) will be paid directly to a student at the end of each month that the student is enrolled (e.g., if the term starts September 1, the student will receive a housing stipend at the end of September). Students may view the Basic Allowance for Housing rates online at the Defense Travel Management Office. The stipend for books will be mailed to the student at the beginning of the semester with a maximum allowance of $1,000 annually.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is a registered trademark of the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Berklee College of Music's campus in Boston participates in the Yellow Ribbon program. Veterans entitled to the maximum benefit (based on service requirements under the Post-9/11 GI Bill) or their designated transferees may receive funding under this program. Active duty service members and their spouses are not eligible for the program. Berklee allocates up to $5,000 annually to 35 eligible Yellow Ribbon recipients. The Yellow Ribbon funding is limited and not guaranteed. The VA matches this allocation, which brings the total annual amount to $10,000. This program is only awarded in the spring semester of an academic year.

The Montgomery GI Bill provides up to 36 months of education benefits, which are generally payable for 10 years following your release from active duty.

To determine eligibility for any veterans benefit, please contact the Veterans Affairs Regional Office at 888-442-4551 or visit the VA website. GI Bill benefits are determined and paid solely by the Veterans Affairs Regional Office.

There are a number of other benefits that students may be eligible to receive. Benefits are typically paid directly to the student, and amounts vary per chapter. In order to find out what benefits you may be eligible to receive, contact the Department of Veteran Affairs—GI Bill.

1. Apply for your Certificate of Eligibility at benefits.va.gov/gibill/.
2. Email your Certificate of Eligibility to onestop@berklee.edu.
3. The Office of Student Financial Services will calculate your benefits for the current/upcoming semester.
4. Benefits will be posted to your student account, pending certification of your enrollment status. Students will not be prohibited from registration.
5. The Office of Student Financial Services will certify your enrollment with the VA approximately two to three weeks prior to the start of each semester.
6. The VA will begin processing your BAH and book stipend. You should receive the book stipend near the start of the semester. Be advised not to expect the book stipend to arrive before classes start.

Benefits are subject to change based on your enrollment status and eligibility. 

Berklee College of Music complies with Readmission Requirements for Service Members as outlined in Section 484C of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 1965 (HEOA). The HEOA provides that an institution may not deny readmission to a service member of the uniformed services for reasons relating to that service. In addition, a student who is readmitted under this section must be readmitted with the same academic status the student had when they last attended the institution. Academic status is defined by a student’s grade level, and whether or not the student was in a degree or non-degree/certificate program at the time of separation.

This policy applies to service in the military branches, whether voluntary or involuntary, on active duty in the Armed Forces, including service as a member of the National Guard or Reserve, for a period of more than 30 days under a call or order to active duty of more than 30 days. Berklee College of Music will readmit such a student as long as the following conditions are met:

• The student gives advance notice (written or verbal) of the call to active duty or, upon seeking readmission, submits a written verification that such service was performed, requiring their absence.
  • Berklee College of Music and Boston Conservatory students should provide this verification to the Berklee Financial Aid Department via email at onestop@berklee.edu.
  • Berklee Online students should provide this verification to the Berklee Online Military Affairs Team via email at military@online.berklee.edu
• The absence from school for active duty does not exceed five years.
• The student submits a notification of intent to reenroll within three years after the completion of service or within two years after recovery from an illness or injury incurred during service.
• The student’s separation from service was not dishonorable.

Tuition and Fees

A returning student will be charged the same tuition and fees in effect during the last academic year the student attended Berklee College of Music, unless veterans’ education benefits or other service member education benefits will pay the amount in excess. Returning students ​​lock in their old rate for the year they return only. For subsequent academic years, the returning student may not be charged tuition and fees in excess of what other students in the program are charged.

Readmission Requirements

A returning student will be permitted to reenroll in the next class(es) scheduled in the same academic program, unless the student requests a later date of reenrollment or agrees to a different program. A returning student will be readmitted into the same academic program the student was enrolled in prior to the military service obligation. If the exact Berklee College of Music program no longer exists, the student must be admitted to the program that is most similar, unless the student requests or agrees to admission to a different program. Returning students will be reenrolled with the same enrollment status, number of completed credit hours, and academic standing as the last academic year of attendance.

If Berklee College of Music determines that a returning student is not prepared to resume the program or is unable to complete the program, Berklee College of Music must make reasonable efforts to enable the student to resume or complete the program at no additional costs to the student. If such efforts are unsuccessful or place an undue hardship on Berklee College of Music, the college is not required to readmit the student.

In accordance with federal regulations, returning students who receive a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge from the Armed Forces (including the National Guard and Reserves) are not eligible for readmission under this policy. However, service members who receive dishonorable or bad conduct discharge may remain eligible for readmission even though they will not be entitled to the benefits outlined in this policy. The returning student may be required to provide supporting documentation.

Berklee's Office of Student Financial Services:

• 617-747-6777 or onestop@berklee.edu

Berklee Online:

• 617-747-2146 or finance@online.berklee.edu

US Department of Veterans Affairs:

• 888-442-4551
• Call between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. CT, Monday–Friday.