Rely on the Application Guide specific to your applicant type for the most comprehensive information about the CSU application process. These tips specifically address the most common questions we get unique to veteran/active duty applicants.

Learn more about Veterans Benefits at Colorado State.

Required Documents

You only will be required to submit the documents outlined in the Application Guide specific to your applicant type. No unique requirements exist for veteran/active duty applicants to be considered for admission.

Optional Support Documents

Official Joint Services Transcript (JST) or “military transcript”

• Learn more about obtaining your JST/military transcript.
• We will refer to this document, if submitted, for insight into the degree and scope of your training and responsibilities. It will not be considered an academic credential or used as the basis of your admission decision.
• Your JST/military transcript will be evaluated for college-level credit (using ACE recommendations) only after admission has been granted.

DD Form 295 (Application for the Evaluation of Learning Experiences During Military Service) and/or DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty)

• We do not use either of these forms in the admission or transfer evaluation process.
• You may be prompted to provide these documents as part of the Veterans Benefits process.

Prospective students on active duty who intend to use military tuition assistance are directed to receive approval from their ESO, military counselor, or Service prior to enrollment.

Decision Factors

We are careful and deliberate in the crafting of our campus community, and the maturity, experience and perspective you can contribute will be important considerations in our decision. Ultimately, our goal is to identify applicants who demonstrate readiness for academic and personal success at CSU.

If you are a returning student, your eligibility to return is at core an academic decision determined by your academic standing when you left CSU, though additional factors may be considered.

If you are concerned about the competitiveness of your prior academic credentials, we invite you to contact us for a preliminary review of your eligibility and suggestions for how best to proceed toward admission to CSU.

Timelines

You are encouraged to begin the application process six to nine months prior to the start of the term you are seeking. This window is especially important if you are relying on a notice of admission in order to qualify for military separation.

It is not possible to apply for admission more than 12 months in advance of your preferred entry term. In the case of scholarship deadlines or pending deployments, however, we have been able to work with applicants to navigate the admission process even with this limitation in place.