U.S. Active Duty Military & Veterans

USC Viterbi's online DEN@Viterbi delivery method provides the flexibility for active duty military personnel and veterans to complete a master’s degree or graduate certificate program online from any location in the world.

USC Viterbi is consistently ranked amongst the Top Ranked Online Graduate Computer Information Technology (Computer Science) Programs for Veterans and Top Ranked Online Graduate Engineering Programs for Veterans - across 40+ programs (U.S. News and World Report, 2024).

Top Ranked Online Graduate Engineering Program for Veterans

U.S. News and World Report, 2024

Learn More

Webinar for U.S. Military & Veteran Prospective Graduate Engineering Students

Join us to learn more about the flexibility of USC Viterbi's online DEN@Viterbi delivery, funding and scholarships for active duty military and veterans, enrollment options, FAQs and more!

Friday, January 10, 2025 at 11am PST

Unlimited Yellow Ribbon Awards

The USC Viterbi School of Engineering offers an unlimited number of Yellow Ribbon awards to eligible U.S. veteran and active duty candidates.

Learn More

Contact Us - Military & Veterans

Student Support

The 8 Keys

USC is committed to the 8 keys in supporting veterans as they pursue their education and employment goals:

1. Create a culture of trust and connectedness across the campus community to promote well-being and success for veterans.
2. Ensure consistent and sustained support from campus leadership.
3. Implement an early alert system to ensure all veterans receive academic, career, and financial advice before challenges become overwhelming.
4. Coordinate and centralize campus efforts for all veterans, together with the creation of a designated space for them (even if limited in size).
5. Collaborate with local communities and organizations, including government agencies, to align and coordinate various services for veterans.
6. Utilize a uniform set of data tools to collect and track information on veterans, including demographics, retention, and degree completion.
7. Provide comprehensive professional development for faculty and staff on issues and challenges unique to veterans.
8. Develop systems that ensure sustainability of effective practices for veterans.

USC Veterans Certification Office

The USC Veterans Certification Office certifies enrollment for USC students who apply and are eligible for educational assistance administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The office forwards enrollment certifications to regional offices of the VA, provides assistance to students with problems related to the VA’s educational (or covered) programs, and maintains a reference file on all VA students for up to three years.

Please contact the USC Veterans Certification Office at (213) 740-4619; email vets@usc.edu; or visit the USC Veterans Certification page for more information.

USC Military & Veterans Initiatives

For over 100 years, USC has continuously supported the U.S. Military. We encourage you to visit the USC Military & Veterans website to learn more about USC's longstanding history with the U.S. Military, information on military-related programs at USC, student academic, housing, and funding resources, military-related News & Events and more.

DEN@Viterbi - Online Delivery

USC Viterbi's online DEN@Viterbi delivery method provides the flexibility for active duty military personnel and veterans to complete a master’s degree or graduate certificate program online from any location in the world. DEN@Viterbi provides academic, administrative and technical support for active duty military and veterans.

USC Viterbi offers 40+ online graduate engineering and computer science programs completely online, enabling active duty military and veterans to earn their degree completely online while maintaining their commitment to serving the nation or working full-time.

Explore the online DEN@Viterbi program offerings today!

Chat with a military DEN@Viteri Ambassador to learn about their online DEN@Viterbi experience while being on Active-Duty.

Military Funding & Scholarships

Military & Veteran Funding

USC supports students through the following programs which provide assistance to U.S. active duty military, veterans, and military dependents. Eligible USC students may claim the following programs:

USC supports the following U.S. Military & Veteran Programs
CHAPTER 30: Montgomery G.I. Bill® for Active Duty
CHAPTER 31: Voc Rehab
CHAPTER 32: VEAP (Post-Vietnam Era Veterans Educational Assistance Program)
CHAPTER 33: Post-9/11 G.I. Bill®
– Yellow Ribbon Program
CHAPTER 35: Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program
CHAPTER 1606: Montgomery G.I. Bill® for Selected Reserve
CHAPTER 1607: Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP)

Unlimited Yellow Ribbon Awards

The USC Viterbi School of Engineering offers an unlimited number of Yellow Ribbon awards to eligible candidates which can provide funding for the majority of your graduate program.

What is the selection process for the Yellow Ribbon Program at USC?

You must be entitled to the 100% Post 9/11 benefit rate (based on service requirements).
You must be admitted to the University of Southern California and registered in classes.
You must submit all documents required by the USC Office of Veterans Affairs.

More info and required documents: Yellow Ribbon Requirements

Calculating Tuition Costs

To help calculate your estimated tuition costs, please use the US Department of Veteran's Affairs GI Bill Comparison Tool. Please be sure to indicate "University of Southern California" in the school information section.

Scholarships & Financial Aid

The USC Viterbi Active Duty Military Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship for outstanding U.S. military students serving full-time on active duty status within any of the U.S. military branches who are pursuing a USC Viterbi master’s degree or graduate certificate online via DEN@Viterbi or on USC's campus. Scholarship recipients must receive partial, or no, military funding and tuition reimbursement funds from their employer. Awards are partial scholarships ranging from 1-4 units of tuition.

More Info & Application: USC Viterbi Active Duty Military Scholarship

For questions, please contact DEN@Viterbi.usc.edu.

The Schoen Family Scholarship Program for Veterans provides scholarships for full-time graduate (and undergraduate) engineering, business, and medical students who have received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces and served a minimum of three years of continuous, full-time, active duty since 2003.

Eligibility

Incoming and continuing undergraduate and graduate students in the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, the Marshall School of Business, or the Keck School of Medicine. Includes transfer students from an accredited community college or other 4-year institution. Must be admitted and enrolled immediately in engineering, business, or medical school courses on a full-time basis.
All candidates must have received an honorable discharge from the US Armed Forces and served a minimum of three years, continuous, full-time, active duty since 2003.

How to Apply

Complete the USC Viterbi Graduate Application Process and view the full scholarship details on The Schoen Family Scholarship for Veterans Application page.
Email den@viterbi.usc.edu for additional required steps and questions.

Military and veteran students are eligible to receive scholarships and financial aid in addition to funding received from a military/veteran program. Active military, veteran, and ROTC students can be considered for both:

– Federal Need-Based Aid: Includes Federal Direct Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans, and Pell Grants
– University Aid: Includes USC’s merit scholarships, the University Grant, and graduate assistantships and fellowships

Please see the Graduate Funding page for information on scholarships and financial aid.

How to Apply & Application Fee Waiver

Steps for How to Apply

Explore the Master's and Graduate Certificate programs or Doctoral (PhD) degree programs to determine the eligibility requirements.
Follow the detailed steps for How to Apply on the USC Viterbi Master's or Doctoral programs page.
See the information below to request and receive an Application Fe e Waiver before submitting your application (U.S. Active Duty Military and Veterans only).
Email den@viterbi.usc.edu after you submit your application and all required materials. Please include your 10-digit USC ID, program(s) and military status.

No GRE Required - Apply Today!

Application Fee Waiver

U.S. active duty military personnel and veterans who wish to apply for formal admission are eligible to receive an application fee waiver.

Please see the USC Graduate Application Fee Waivers page for details on how to request and receive the waiver before submitting your application.

Eligibility Requirements: You must be an active duty military personnel or veteran. Acceptable documentation include:

1) A copy of your active duty orders if you are currently serving.

2) A copy of your DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty if you are a veteran. This option is not available to dependents of military personnel or veterans.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

YES.

The USC Veterans Certification Office certifies enrollment for USC students who apply and are eligible for educational assistance administered by the Veterans Administration. The office forwards enrollment certifications to regional offices of the Veterans Administration, provides assistance to students with problems related to the Veterans Administration educational (or covered) programs, and maintains a reference file on all VA students for up to three years.