Active Military and Veterans
We Welcome Our Military Members
For fifty years, we have supported veterans, active duty service members, and military spouses in achieving their educational goals.
UMass Amherst uses the American Council on Education (ACE) as guidelines and applies the same standards to credits for military education as those applied to coursework from accredited colleges and universities. The final transfer credit amount is determined by each individual university and may differ than the ACE recommendation. The JST military transcript is available in electronic format only and may be requested via the Joint Services Transcript (JST) website.
What type of financial aid or other benefits may I be eligible for?
Whether you are applying to a degree program or are interested in pursuing a certificate, you may be eligible for financial aid. Please contact Lynn at @email or 413-545-5792 to find out about aid-eligibility requirements and benefits.
How do I apply for an undergraduate program?
Apply to one of our undergraduate programs by using our secure online admissions application.
If you wish to apply for a:
Graduate program: Visit Graduate Admissions or email @email
Day Division program: Visit Undergraduate Admissions or email @email
Am I eligible for an application fee waiver?
You must submit either a Joint Services Transcript (JST), CCAF or DD214 in order to be eligible for the waiver.
What additional materials do I need to submit?
A list of required materials can be found by clicking on the program that you interested in applying to on the Admissions page.
You are required to submit official college transcripts from all colleges you have previously attended, regardless of whether credit is desired. UMass Amherst accepts electronic transcripts from official third parties (eScrip-Safe, Parchment, etc.) or directly from the Registrar's office of the issuing school. Student-submitted transcripts are not accepted. Transcripts can be sent to the Admissions office, UMass Amherst, 350 Campus Center Way, Amherst, MA 01003-2902.
NOTE: Military transcripts are not required for the application process unless you are seeking transfer credit for military credits.
How do I get military credits to apply to my degree?
Once accepted, you can arrange for us to receive an official copy of your military/test transcript:
Request JST military transcript
Request DANTES transcript
Request CLEP transcript
UMass Amherst accepts electronic military (joint service) transcripts.
Which of my military credits will transfer to UMass Amherst?
UMass Amherst uses the American Council on Education (ACE), CLEP and DSST guidelines and applies the same standards to credits for military education as those applied to coursework from accredited colleges and universities. If ACE indicates that military credits are vocational in nature and are applicable to associate degree programs only (e.g. mechanical repair credits), then those credits will not transfer to UMass Amherst. However, if ACE indicates that military credits are applicable to baccalaureate programs (e.g. primary leadership credits), then transfer credit is possible.
How will I know which credits transfer after sending an official military transcript?
Military credits are posted to official UMass Amherst student records after students commit to enrollment. However, veterans wanting earlier notification about military credits may (1) arrange for the Undergraduate Admissions Office to receive an official military transcript (2) contact Eric Lewison, Transfer Credit Evaluator, for military credit information at @email or 413-545-0222.
If applicable, how will my military credits apply to my bachelor's degree?
A minimum of 120 credits is required for a bachelor's degree. Of them, 45 must be UMass Amherst degree-seeking credits and the rest may be transfer credits, including test credits and military credits. Our bachelor's degrees have the following components: (1) general education requirements (approximately 1/3 of the degree requirements); (2) major requirements; and (3) electives.
In general, military credits are used for electives towards a degree. However, with the approval of a faculty advisor, they may be used towards the major as well. Some normally non-transferable military credits may also be applied towards the degree after enrollment in the University Without Walls Interdisciplinary Studies program (only), with approval and if related to major.
When will notification be sent regarding an admission decision?
Complete applications (all required materials have been received) are reviewed in the order in which they are received.
Following the receipt of your application, you will be given access to our Applicant Center where you can check on the status of your application.
Once all of your materials have been received, your application will be reviewed and you will be notified of a decision by email within 4-6 weeks.
NOTE: The Accelerated Bachelor's in Nursing program sends notification of admission decision in March.
Program Questions
If you have questions about the program to which you are interested in applying, program specialists can provide you with the answers. Please contact us at 413-545-0133 or @email
