Veterans / Service Members

Veterans of the U.S. military and active-duty service members make up a significant portion of the SSP student body each year. Students with a military background are a valuable component of the SSP community, and their experiences add great value to the classroom and program as a whole.

Active duty service members, reservists, and veterans find that the practical analysis, critical thinking, and writing skills they learn in SSP, along with a stronger academic grounding in the field, makes them more competitive both for leadership roles within the military and for civilian positions.

Active-Duty Service members

The SSP M.A. is a 2-year (full-time) or 3-year (part-time) degree that can be completed on an accelerated track, typically in 18 months. SSP will consider requests for a 12-month course of study on a case-by-case basis. Students who are active-duty service members have participated in a number of different scholarship programs accepted by SSP:

• Foreign Area Officers (FAOs)
  These Army officers attend SSP as part of their formal training to become a Foreign Area Officer and serve as Defense Attachés abroad at United States Embassies and elsewhere. After completing extensive language study and on-site training in their assigned country, they complete a graduate-level degree before entering their new roles. SSP mandates that all FAOs receive a waiver for an 18 month course of study.
• The Politico-Military (Pol-Mil) Fellowship
  These Naval officers receive a fellowship from the U.S. Navy to attend one of a select few graduate programs at top International Relations schools. Each October, a few officers are selected and must gain admission in order to complete the fellowship. Graduates of this program have gone on to teach in the U.S. military academies and into high ranking positions within the U.S. military. SSP mandates that all Pol-Mil Fellows be approved for an 18 month or 2 year masters degree, prior to applying and gaining admission.
• U.S. Naval Academy Voluntary Graduate Education Program (VGEP)
  VGEPers are midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy who apply to SSP in the fall semester of their final year at the Academy and begin graduate courses in the spring semester. These students are pre-approved for an accelerated degree and take four courses over the spring, summer and fall terms in order to graduate in 12 months. After graduation, these students are commissioned in either the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps.
• Advanced Civil Schooling (ACS)
  Students with funding from ACS are welcome and invited to apply to SSP. ACS provides funding to Army offers to complete graduate school. All applicants with funding through ACS must be approved by the Army for an 18 month or 2 year course of study.

Veterans

Georgetown has a large veteran population on campus and works hard to ensure that these students receive the support and guidance they require. SSP encourages all prospective veteran students to visit the Veteran Resources web page and get in touch with Georgetown’s Veterans Service Coordinator at veteranservices@georgetown.edu.

Georgetown supports both the Post 9-11 GI Bill® and the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Post 9-11 GI Bill®

The Post 9-11 GI Bill® came into effect on August 1, 2009 and provides tuition benefits for those who served at least 90 aggregate days in the U.S. military after September 11, 2001. Information about the Post 9-11 GI Bill® can be found on the Department of Veterans Affairs website.

If you do not qualify for 100% benefits through the 9-11 Bill, you are still able to have a percentage of your tuition contributed by the VA. However, you will not receive any funds from Georgetown to be matched by the VA. Any questions should be directed to veteranservices@georgetown.edu.

Yellow Ribbon Program

The Yellow Ribbon Program (YRP) is part of the Post 9-11 GI Bill® and applies to students who are eligible to receive 100% benefits from the Bill. The YRP will pay up to $30,000 per academic year for an unlimited number of eligible SSP students. That amount is a combination of payments from the VA and from Georgetown and it is only payable once the basic tuition benefit has been exhausted for the year. More information about eligibility and funds provided can be found on the VA Yellow Ribbon Program page and the Georgetown Yellow Ribbon Program page.

Enrolling in the YRP requires submitting a Certificate of Eligibility from the VA and a Benefits Request Form from Georgetown University to the Office of the Registrar. See the Georgetown Veterans Office for information about certification of benefits at Georgetown.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Explore more information provided by the U.S. government about education benefits offered through the VA.