Admissions & Aid Culinary School for Veterans

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Veterans: Right at Home at CIA

Welcome to your new college!

Apply Now for January! Application deadline is October 11.

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Military Veterans, Food is Your Future.

A sense of purpose. Service. Making a difference. You鈥檝e experienced them all in your military career, so it鈥檚 only natural to seek them in your next one. A career in food is a great fit for your skills and drive, and so is the Culinary Institute of America, where you鈥檒l practice mastery, discipline, and teamwork in our professional kitchens every day.

Join our strong and committed community of veteran students at CIA. We鈥檙e proud to have been founded in 1946 for the express purpose of preparing World War II veterans for food careers.

A pastry chef wearing a white uniform and hat is carefully decorating star-shaped cookies with red, white, and blue icing. Other chefs are working in the background. The table is filled with trays of partially decorated cookies.
The CIA Degree of Your Choice

Use your hard-earned GI Bill庐 benefits to earn an associate, bachelor鈥檚, or master鈥檚 degree from the world-famous CIA. Why not choose the best? An education from CIA is the best recipe for your success moving into your next chapter.

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Free Culinary School for Veterans with GI Billl庐 Benefits

That鈥檚 right鈥攜our Yellow Ribbon and Post 9-11 benefits may pay up to 100% of your CIA tuition. Learn more about your benefits due, transferring benefits, and housing allowances.

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Resources and Support for a Smooth Transition

Learn about resources available only to veteran students. Location, meal plans, clubs, housing, employment, and other types of support鈥e can鈥檛 name them all. Our hub of information to answer all your questions on how to make your degree a reality.

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Fit Easily into Our Family

You鈥檙e already familiar with discipline and structure鈥攁nd fun, too! Check out one of our three amazing campuses to learn more about our center of the food universe.

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A chef dressed in a white uniform and tall white hat smiles confidently with arms crossed, standing in front of an American flag.

Application Process

Applying to CIA

CIA admits students three times a year, so you can start whenever the time is right for you鈥攁nd CIA is here to help you through the process. You can submit your application via Common App or CIA鈥檚 website. Our application form takes only 20 minutes to complete. Learn more about application materials, timelines, and review processes.

Learn How to Apply

We鈥檙e a Military Friendly庐 School!

This designation signals that CIA is one of a select few colleges setting the standard for higher education institutions to provide the best opportunities for veterans and their spouses.

We鈥檙e also proud to be listed yet again as a 鈥淏est for Vets鈥� College by MilitaryTimes!

GI Bill庐 is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at .

A circular badge displays the text "Military Friendly School." In the center are the letters "M" and "F" with five stars on the "M" and grey stripes on the "F." Below, it reads "'23-'24 Silver." The outer blue ring has the designation "Military Friendly School.

What Your Fellow Veterans Have to Say

CIA veteran students share their experiences as they prepare to make a difference in their new careers in this segment from Meals Ready to Eat, produced by Navy veteran August Dannehl.

Benefits and Opportunities

A large brick building with white columns and multiple windows stands on a landscaped campus. An American flag flies prominently in the foreground. Trees, pathways, a clock, and well-maintained gardens surround the building. Overcast sky above.

GI Billl庐 Benefits

As a veteran, you can use the Post-9/11 GI Bill庐 to help finance your education at CIA.

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Two chefs stand side by side in a kitchen, both wearing white chef coats and tall white hats. They have calm expressions and are facing the camera. The logo on their coats reads "The Culinary Institute of America.鈥� There are kitchen utensils in the background.

Military Friendly庐 School

CIA is one of a select few colleges setting the standard for higher education institutions to provide the best opportunities for veterans.

A group of smiling people, including two individuals dressed in chef uniforms, joyfully pose together outdoors. One person is being playfully lifted by others in the group. The background features brick buildings and greenery.

Student Support

Veteran students have access to many veteran-specific support options while studying at CIA.

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A group of chefs wearing white uniforms and tall hats are meticulously plating desserts in a professional kitchen. The desserts appear to include pastries and fruit. The kitchen is spacious and equipped with stainless steel appliances.

CIA Turbo Option

Gain college credit for your prior food industry experience and you could have your degree in as little as 15 months.

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A chef in a white uniform and hat is using a pipette to carefully transfer green liquid into a small container in a kitchen setting. The chef appears focused and is wearing gloves, suggesting attention to hygiene and precision in the task.

Bachelor鈥檚 Degree Completion

Especially for students with 30+ college credits, this program immerses you in our kitchens or bakeshops.

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A professional man in a suit shakes hands with a woman in a white chef's coat at an event. Another woman, also in a white chef's coat, stands nearby holding a photo book. People in similar attire are in the background, indicating a culinary event or gathering.

Industry鈥檚 Best Career Fair

Nearly 475 food and hospitality companies visited CIA looking to hire in 2023鈥攔esulting in over 4,000 reported interviews with highly interested employers.

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A woman dressed in a white chef's uniform takes a selfie with another woman in a navy blazer and red blouse. They are smiling and posing inside a brightly lit cafe. Some people are seen seated in the background.

Unrivaled Network

The food world鈥檚 most powerful alumni network鈥�50k+ strong鈥攖hat not only hire CIA grads, but also help make the connections to advance careers.

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A waiter, wearing a white shirt, black tie, and dark apron, is holding a plate and a small container while smiling at diners. Various people are seated at tables in the restaurant. A decorative rooster is displayed in the background on a shelf.

Built-in, Paid Internship

World-class paid internships at one of 2,000+ CIA-approved organizations.

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Connect with someone now

Chat With a Veteran Student

Are you curious about what it鈥檚 really like to attend CIA? We鈥檝e got you covered. Our students are ready to answer the questions you haven鈥檛 asked anyone else, share their own personal experiences, and give you genuine advice鈥攂ecause they鈥檝e gone through it, too.

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Chat with a Veteran Student Ambassador
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CIA Campuses

Be part of a vibrant campus and close-knit community, where everyone speaks your language鈥攆ood.

Discover all that CIA has to offer beyond the classroom with our full array of athletics, activities, student services, and delicious dining options. From open mic nights and interactive student groups to off-campus adventures and friendly campus cook-offs, we have countless ways to get involved and meet new people. Did we mention every dorm has a full-sized kitchen?

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Here鈥檚 what happening at CIA…

Contact Us

Susan Lavender, CWP
Assistant Director鈥擜dmissions
Susan.Lavender@culinary.edu
845-451-1557

Specializes in assisting veterans鈥擭ew York campus

Gerardo Garant
Admissions Counselor
Gerardo.Garant@culinary.edu
210-554-6453

Specializes in assisting veterans鈥擳exas campus