Veteran Benefits

Financial Support Benefits for Veterans

Thank you for your service. We encourage you to apply for ECC financial aid to see if you can supplement your VA education benefits. Veterans may be granted a total of 4 semester hours of credit due to their basic training. Those who apply may obtain credit for health education (3 credits) and physical education (1 credit).

Financial aid at ECC

All students applying for financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

You will be automatically considered for an ECC Scholarship. If you're eligible for financial aid and your financial need exceeds your VA education benefits, you may qualify for additional support. ECC will award you a scholarship grant that you do not have to repay. Scholarships are based solely on financial need and funded by ECC’s endowment, alumni gifts, community donations, and general funds.

We consider you an independent student.

As a Veteran of the U.S. armed forces, you are considered independent of parental financial support. When applying for aid, your financial need is determined based on your income and assets, excluding those of your parents.

Please note: When filling out the profile, please put $0 for any parent income information, and we will take care of the rest.

VA benefits are considered outside scholarships.

All VA education benefits, except Yellow Ribbon funds, are treated like outside scholarships, including housing and book stipends. Funds for housing and books are sent directly to you, rather than to ECC. You are expected to use those funds to pay for your books and housing—on or off campus—during your time at ECC. If your housing costs exceed the amount budgeted in your financial aid award, please get in touch with your financial aid counselor. We may be able to provide additional assistance.

How does an outside scholarship work with your ECC Scholarship?

ECC considers outside scholarships as additional money that you have available to reduce your student contribution.⁠ Any additional money from your VA education benefits beyond the amount of your student contribution will reduce your ECC Scholarship.

To summarize, your VA education benefits impact your financial aid as follows:

• They are considered outside scholarships and must be accounted for in your financial aid award.
• They are first used to cover your student contribution, typically $5,400.
• The remainder reduces your ECC scholarship if your outside award is more than the student contribution.

Reducing your course load and lowering ECC charges will result in a reduction of financial aid, including VA benefits.