U.S. Veteran and Service Member Applicants
Nathan Needham '18E served as a staff sergeant and linguist with the U.S. Air Force Special Forces in Latin America. Read Nathan's feature in Amherst's "I Belong" campaign, his interview in Amherst's alumni magazine, and his Service-to-School profile.
Darryl Sanchez '17 served in Afghanistan with the U.S. Marine Corps and joined the Peace Corps after Amherst. Read about Darryl's transition to Amherst and his advice for future veteran students.
Rebecca Segel '18, an Army ROTC cadet and neuroscience major, transferred to Amherst. Rebecca received her officer commission in Amherst's Johnson Chapel.
Jacob Worrell ’12E, an American veteran who transferred to Amherst, was inducted into the New York State Veterans Hall of Fame in 2014. Watch videos of Jacob and other transfer students talking about transitioning to Amherst.
Mark Hellmer '13, a geology major and student of Russian, was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship.
Joe Prive '16, a Marine Corps veteran and former intelligence specialist in Afghanistan, graduated with a double major in English and Political Science. Read about Joe's path to Amherst and his transition to college.
Ryan Cotter '18E, a former sonar tech on a U.S. Navy nuclear sub, followed a long and winding road from his home in upstate New York to Amherst. Read about Ryan's journey to Amherst.
Read more stories about U.S. veterans at Amherst.
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®. All applicants are encouraged to apply for need-based financial aid through the Office of Financial Aid.
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. Offering one of the most iconic and beloved vistas on the Amherst campus, Memorial Hill is the starting point for the procession of graduating seniors as part of each year's Commencement.
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 the Amherst Community College Collaboration Agreement 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. There are, however, some exceptions to the general process that apply selectively to U.S. veteran and service member applicants:
- Active Duty Applicants: Ordinarily, applicants for admission to Amherst College are required to submit two academic evaluations from former instructors. 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.
- Applicants for First-Year Admission: Amherst is piloting a test-optional policy for all first-year applicants to the Class of 2026 and Class of 2027. At their own discretion, applicants may submit SAT and/or ACT scores for consideration.
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.
Military Friendly® School Since 2016 Amherst College has been a Military Friendly® School, a designation awarded to the top colleges, universities, community colleges and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students and to dedicate resources to ensure their success in the classroom and after graduation.