Youngstown State University was one of the first institutions to have an office strictly dedicated to assisting veterans on campus. Since its start in 2009, the Office of Veterans Affairs at YSU has continued to better its offerings and its one-on-one attention and help to current and prior military students.
Our work is paying off. YSU has been named a Military Friendly School four years in a row by G.I. Jobs Magazine, and our office is a member of Service Members Opportunity College, which requires that YSU meet certain campus criteria specific for armed forces.
There are four major points that especially earn YSU the honor of being "Military Friendly." Read about each below, including fee waivers for military students, veterans-only classes, scheduling privileges, and one-stop services, and Financial Aid benefits.
Fee Waivers
As a current or prior military student, you will not have to pay YSU's application or student orientation fees.
Applying for the Application Fee Waiver:
New undergraduate applicants who are veterans or hold current military status are encouraged to apply for a waiver of the $40 undergraduate application fee. This waiver doesn't apply to spouses or dependents of veterans or current military personnel (chapter 35).
To receive the waiver, the applicant must:
- Complete the YSU Admissions Application
- Attach appropriate military documentation verifying military status. (Member 4 copy of DD214 or cop-front only-of military ID)
- Deliver these documents to the Office of Veterans Affairs, Tod Hall, Room 310A. Or mail to: YSU Office of Veterans Affairs - Tod Hall, One University Plaza, Youngstown, OH 44555-0001.
- Upon receipt of completed application, we will verify your military documentation. If documentation is sufficient, application will be marked for waiving of application fee and forwarded to YSU Undergraduate Admissions for acceptance determination. If the documentation does not qualify you for the waiver, we will make a good faith effort to contact you so that you may re-submit your request with appropriate documents; however, this may delay your acceptance to YSU.
Do not apply online; if you do apply online, you will have to pay the non-refundable application fee.
The Office of Veterans Affairs at YSU reviews the military documents only and has no review or determination of the undergraduate application form for acceptance to the university. If you have any questions regarding this process, contact YSU Veterans Affairs.
Applying for the Student Orientation Fee Waiver:
New undergraduate students (excludes formers and transfers) who are veterans or hold current military status are encouraged to apply for a waiver of the current undergraduate orientation (SOAR) fee. This does not apply to spouses or dependents of veterans or current military personnel (chapter 35).
To receive the waiver, you must:
- Identify yourself at check-in on your orientation day as holding veteran or current military status.
STOP: If your current military documentation is on file with the Office of Veterans Affairs, take no further action to receive this waiver. Just contact YSU Veterans Affairs to request verification.
- Within five days of our office receiving notice of you completing orientation, bring documentation verifying your military status to the Office of Veterans Affairs in Tod Hall, Room 310A. You may also do this prior to your orientation date or leave your documents with the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs, Tod Hall, Room 141.
- Upon verification of your military documentation, your name will be withheld from orientation billing.
- If for any reason your documentation does not qualify you for the waiver, a good faith effort will be made to contact you so that you may re-submit the proper documentation. However, any delay that carries you over the five days from the notice of you completing orientation may result in you being assessed and responsible for payment of the orientation fee. For this reason, be sure to present your documents as soon as possible.
- If you do not present correct documentation verifying your military status to the Office of Veterans Affairs within five days of completing orientation (SOAR), and this documentation is not on file with the Office of Veterans Affairs, the Office of Student Accounts will be notified and you will be billed the current orientation fee.
Exclusive Classes for Veterans and Current Military
YSU looks for ways to accommodate students holding veteran and current military status. In that vein, we offer you the opportunity to enroll in classes for veterans and current military personnel only. The classes meet several GER requirements for both baccalaureate and associate degrees and also fulfill the requirement for students transferring to YSU.
The premise to form such classes is to build upon the special relationships formed in military service and to bring that experience to the college classroom. Another benefit of these classes is that they have significantly lower enrollments, allowing for a closer working relationship between student and instructor. And although past performance is not an indicator of future or personal performance, veterans-only classes have average GPAs that have been higher than those of the general student population for the same classes.
Course instructors are chosen from those who express a specific interest in teaching veterans and military personnel. They are also typically veterans themselves.
We hope to offer even more veterans-only classes in future semesters, perhaps including a full first-year curriculum for veterans. View this semester's veterans-only classes.
Scheduling Privileges
As a veteran or current military student at Youngstown State, you will have automatic class-scheduling privileges each semester. You will be eligible for Early Registration at YSU, ensuring more class availability and flexibility for you.
One-Stop Services and a Future Veterans Resource Center
The Office of Veterans Affairs at YSU is proud to serve all current and prior military personnel by offering as many conveniences through our office as possible. This means you can come to us with any questions regarding applying, receiving benefits and credit transfers, finding a network of similar military students and instructors, getting help for classes and much more.