If you're a member of the military or a military dependent, you'll find a second family at Mason. The Office of Military Services includes staff from every branch of the armed forces, and they've all used military-related education benefits.
More than half of Mason's 190,000 alumni live and work in the Washington, D.C., area, providing graduates with a diverse and extensive professional network.
We're a good match for the military for a variety of reasons, including:
- Diverse community: Diversity is one of our core values; everyone is welcome here. Mason was recently named the most diverse university in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report.
- Proximity to D.C.: The Washington metro area has a population of more than 400,000 veterans and their families, and it's easy to see why. Military bases such as Fort Myer, Fort Belvoir, Andrews AFB, Bolling, and the Pentagon provide access to commissaries and other services (as well as a large community of active-duty personnel). The Department of Veterans Affairs is headquartered downtown, and a VA medical center is also in Washington.
- Employment opportunities: Another benefit of being near Washington, D.C., is the access to jobs. This area is home to hundreds of positions offered through the civil service, by military contractors, with the private sector, and by nongovernment organizations. Graduates are also sought by companies based in the Virginia Technology Corridor and among organizations in the Bethesda medical community. Many members of the military and veterans also have top-secret clearances, which give them a leg up.
Mason-Based Military Scholarships
In addition to access to general scholarships, the university has additional scholarships set aside for members of the military community:
The Military, Veterans & Families Iniative
MVFI focuses on giving back to those who give their all to our nation, through direct services and education opportunities for service members, veterans, and their families; training of future professionals who will work with service members, veterans, and their families; and research dedicated to improving the lives of service members, veterans, and their families. Visit MVFI today!
Veterans and the Arts
The Veterans and the Arts Initiative has served as an arts and community hub for 14,000 military-connected people since 2014. We offer free, hands-on workshops, art exhibitions featuring Veterans’ artwork, and concerts for our local Veterans, Servicemembers, and military family members (including military partners and kids). Explore our offerings in music, visual arts, and more to learn new skills and connect with community members!
M-Vets
M-VETS enables Mason law students to assist servicemembers, veterans and dependent family members in a wide variety of litigation and non-litigation matters. Since its inception, clinic students have assisted hundreds of clients from all five branches of the armed services with negotiation and litigation in consumer protection, expungements, family law (uncontested divorce, step-parent adoptions, name changes), landlord-tenant and contract matters. M-VETS services for civil matters are limited to matters located in courts in Northern Virginia. M-VETS services for administrative and military law and entitlements matters, Medical and Physical Evaluation Boards, discharge upgrade applications before Discharge Review Boards and Boards for Corrections of Military Records are not restricted by State of residence.