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Veterans

Parrish Hall

We encourage applications from veterans, military service members, and their dependents. The College fosters a culture of civic engagement and public service, and our community welcomes and benefits from the perspectives of active and retired service members and other military-affiliated students.

Learn more about:

 

Support for Veteran Students at Swarthmore

Partnerships with Veteran Serving Organizations

  • ​​Swarthmore is proud to partner with Service to School’s VetLink program, which supports service members in the admissions process to selective colleges. VetLink is free and available to all U.S. veterans and military service members. Information about our other non-profit and community-based organization partnerships can be found at our Partnering for College Access page.
  • In addition, Swarthmore participates in the U.S. Department of Defense’s Yellow Ribbon Program, matching up to $5,000 per year towards the cost of tuition and fees. More information is available below under “Financial Aid for Veterans.”

Academic and Career Support

  • All Swarthmore students receive personalized support from a faculty advisor, assigned to them upon enrollment. These assignments are typically made based on the student’s academic interests. Incoming transfer students also are supported by Associate Dean of Academic Success Liz Derickson '01; students who are first in their families to attend college work with Karen Henry '87 and other faculty advisors from Swarthmore’s FLI Program.
  • Swarthmore offers free academic tutoring to all students, regardless of class year or major. In addition, each student has access to a Student Academic Mentor who is trained to support the development of skills necessary for academic success, such as time management, organization, study strategies, and reading techniques.
  • The College’s Career Services Office offers individual career counseling appointments and workshops and sponsors job fairs and other networking events throughout the year. Students interested in business or entrepreneurship will also find support from the Center for Innovation and Leadership and the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility; students pursuing medical or law school will work closely with our dedicated Pre-Med/Health Sciences and Pre-Law advisors.

Mental Health and Wellness

  • Located in the College’s on-campus Worth Health Center, the Health and Wellness Office supports students’ physical and mental wellbeing during their time at Swarthmore. The Center is staffed by nurses offering chronic and preventive care services, as well as clinical psychologists and counselors who provide confidential individual and group counseling, assessment, consultation, and referral services.
  • Other student wellness services include peer-to-peer counseling through the Speak2Swatties and Sexual Health Advisors programs and support from Residential Peer Leaders, who live in residence halls and are responsible for maintaining the health, safety, and welfare of their communities.
  • Veterans who wish to stay physically active have free access to our 21,000 square foot Matchbox Fitness Center. The College also sponsors 22 NCAA Division III varsity athletic teams, as well as intramural and club sport programs.

Student Groups and Spaces

 

Applying to Swarthmore

Veterans may apply to Swarthmore as incoming first-year or transfer students. Please see the descriptions below to determine which is most appropriate for you:

  • The first-year student application is for those who have completed high school or earned a GED and have not taken the equivalent of two or more semesters of college or university classes.
  • The transfer student application is for those who have taken two or more semesters of college or university classes outside of high school.

We discourage transfer applications from students who have completed the equivalent of six or more semesters of college coursework because we can only transfer up to 2 years (or 4 semesters) of college credits towards a Swarthmore degree. If you have questions about your transfer eligibility, please email us at transfer@swarthmore.edu. For information about credit transfer, please see the Registrar's guide for prospective transfer students.  

Application Requirements

 

Financial Aid for Veterans

  • Swarthmore offers need-based scholarships designed to make attending affordable for all families. We offer three distinctive commitments:
    • We meet your full financial need: The College strives to make it possible for all admitted students to attend Swarthmore, regardless of their ability to pay, and meets 100 percent of determined need for all admitted students.
    • Our financial aid awards do not include loans: Swarthmore’s financial aid offers include grants (which do not need to be repaid) and the expectation that students will work in a part-time College job. Although Swarthmore financial aid awards are loan-free, you or your family might choose to borrow a loan to pay a portion of the educational expenses.
    • Swarthmore practices “need-blind” admissions: The decisions about your admission to Swarthmore and your financial aid eligibility are made independently if you are a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or undocumented/DACA student graduating from a U.S. high school.
  • Swarthmore is proud to participate in the U.S. Department of Defense’s Yellow Ribbon Program matching up to $5,000 per year towards the cost of tuition and fees. The benefit is awarded at up to $2,500 in the fall semester of certified benefits-eligible enrollment, and the remainder of the $5,000 is awarded in the spring semester of certified benefits-eligible enrollment. For more information, please review the “Veterans Benefits” section of Swarthmore’s Military and Veterans webpage.
 

Connect with Us

  • Do you have questions about the admissions process or Swarthmore in general? Email our Veteran Admissions Coordinator Mark Detterline at mdetter1@swarthmore.edu. 
  • Swarthmore’s Registrar is our primary point of contact for support services for veterans, military service members, and their families. Please feel free to email registrar@swarthmore.edu with specific questions related to campus life or U.S. Veteran Affairs (VA) education benefits. The Registrar’s Office processes requests for U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits, and communicates with the VA regarding enrollment certification.
  • If you are interested in learning more about the College, please visit our Connect with Us page to browse our current virtual offerings, including Virtual Campus Tours and Q&As.
  • If you would like to talk to a current student at Swarthmore, visit Ask a Swattie.