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) and physical education (1).

Financial aid at ECC

All students applying for financial aid must complete the Veteran and Military Benefit Activation Form - PDF

You will be automatically considered for an ECC Scholarship. If you are eligible for financial aid—meaning your financial need exceeds your VA education benefits—we will award you an ECC Scholarship, a grant you don’t have to repay. Our scholarships are awarded solely on financial need and come from our endowment, gifts from ECC alums and friends, and ECC 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 you apply for aid, your financial need will be calculated according to your income and assets without regard to your parent’s financial circumstances.

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 instead of 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. Should your housing cost more than the amount we budget for you on your financial aid award, please reach out to your financial aid counselor directly, as we may be able to help.

How an outside scholarship works 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.

If you reduce your course load and your ECC charges are lower, your financial aid, including your VA education benefits, will also be reduced.

Did you know?

Resources available to ECC student veterans include the Textbooks for Veterans Program, allowing veterans to purchase their books before classes start instead of waiting weeks for funds through the GI Bill®.