Veterans Services

If you or a family member currently serve our country or have formerly served, Veterans Services at Wilkes University provides assistance to help you meet your higher education goals.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about veterans admissions, financial aid, or other services at Wilkes, please contact:

LTC Mark Kaster

Lecturer/Director of Veterans Affairs

mark.kaster@wilkes.edu
(570) 408-5046

Crystal Ondrick

Associate Director Undergrad Financial Aid

crystal.ondrick@wilkes.edu
(570) 408-3837

Why Should Veterans Choose Wilkes?

Land at Wilkes and we’ll help you take off for the next successful phase of your career. You’ll have access to a variety of majors, hands-on experience to enhance your potential and expert mentoring from a dedicated veterans counselor, whether you need admissions guidance or help accessing benefits.

Wilkes offers veterans and all our students big opportunities in a small-school atmosphere. It’s a great landing zone if you’re coming off active duty or want to use your benefits to help a dependent strive for educational excellence.

Notice on Federal Tuition Assistance

Active duty, Reserve and National Guard Armed Forces personnel using Federal Tuition Assistance (FTA) are directed to receive approval from the student's Educational Services Officer (ESO), military counselor or respective service prior to enrollment at Wilkes University.

handshake

Yellow Ribbon Program

This program empowers the University to cover post-9/11 veterans’ tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. Wilkes covers up to 50% of those expenses and the VA will match that amount.

Supportive Community

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Mark Kaster has walked in your boots. After serving for 32 years, he helps thank you for your service by mentoring veterans, helping them navigate the university landscape and encouraging them to make the most of their unique leadership skills.

Gateway at Wilkes campus

Green Zone Certified

Seek guidance from Green Zone certified faculty and staff with knowledge of the unique military-affiliated student experience. They can lend a sympathetic ear and help you identify and connect with student veteran support resources.

 

Any transitioning military member, veteran or dependent of a veteran would benefit from the amenities, atmosphere and comradery at Wilkes University. I am proud to say I have been a part of Wilkes University as it has become a part of me.

Michael Young | Electrical Engineering and Bioengineering major
30

veterans or dependents of veterans who earned a degree or certificate from Wilkes in the past year.

3

recent Wilkes recipients of the Student Veteran Leadership Award by G.I. Jobs magazine.

Top 50%

in Best Colleges in the U.S. ranking by Niche.

Serving Those Who Serve Us

Wilkes University is proud to serve our veterans who have done so much in service to our country

Military-Friendly School Badge

Military-Friendly School

G.I. Jobs has ranked Wilkes as a Military-Friendly School. This honor places us among the colleges, universities and trade schools that do the most to embrace America’s veterans and service members as students.

OnlineU Best Military Friendly Colleges banner

Online Military-Friendly School

OnlineU ranked Wilkes University 37 in the nation for online military-friendly schools. The award recognizes dedication to serving the unique needs of military service members, veterans and their families, with strong military communities and support networks for military-affiliated online students.

Pennsylvania National Guard Associations Guard-Friendly School badge

Guard-Friendly School

Pennsylvania National Guard Associations (PNGAS) named Wilkes a Guard-Friendly School for creating a supportive learning environment for members of the guard and their families who are pursuing post-secondary degrees.

Additional Resources

Application and Enrollment Checklist

Our checklist helps you keep track all necessary steps to enroll at Wilkes and use your veterans benefits.

View the Checklist

Health and Wellness Services

The Wilkes University Health and Wellness Center provides care, education and advocacy to improve the health and well being of its students, staff and faculty.

More About Health and Wellness

Make the Connection

MakeTheConnection is an online resource designed to connect Veterans, their family members and friends and other supporters with information, resources and solutions to issues affecting their lives.

Visit Make the Connection external website

Section 1018

The Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 external website requires educational institutions to make certain disclosures to students using federal military and/or VA education benefits. Students can access the estimated cost by visiting the College Navigator-National Center for Education Statistics external website. Further information on costs, academic requirements, services available to students and more can be found on our consumer information sheet.