1. Apply for admission at Penn State Harrisburg. 
  2. Apply for Financial Aid regardless of your eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or Department of Defense (DoD) benefits. Complete FAFSA for financial aid consideration. 
  3. Upon receipt of the Offer of Admission to Penn State Harrisburg, pay acceptance fees.
  4. Apply for GI Bill® Educational Benefits. 
  5. Dependents ONLY: Apply for educational benefits. 
  6. Receive Certificate of Eligibility (COE) or Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE) from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
  7. New students must complete the Military-Connected Student Questionnaire in LionPATH. View instructions for accessing the Questionnaire.
  8. Once registered for your semester courses, you will complete the VA Enrollment Certification Request using the instructions here.
    • You will need to upload your Certificate of Eligibility the first time you are using benefits (or if your benefits change).
    • In addition, you will need to upload your Degree Audit only if you are in your declared major each semester when completing the VA Enrollment Certification Request. Click here for Degree Audit instructions.
    • PLEASE NOTE: If you are in a pre-major or a graduate student, you do not need to upload a Degree Audit or What-If report.
  9. Ensure your contact information is up-to-date before beginning the request. To confirm or update your contact information, please visit the Penn State Accounts website.
  10. Be advised Penn State is required to deduct tuition-specific financial aid (not including FAFSA) from the total tuition cost reported to the VA. Title IV aid awarded from completion of the FAFSA (Pell Grant, SEOG, Direct Loans) is not deducted from your VA Education Benefits. We encourage all students to complete the FAFSA to be considered for federal and institutional aid sources.
  11. Veteran students and students using VA Educational Benefits that receive in-state tuition will not be eligible for the Discover Award at Penn State.