HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania’s independent nonprofit colleges and universities enrolled 6,398 students using GI Bill benefits during the 2025-26 academic year, accounting for approximately one-third of veterans using those education benefits in the state, according to a new survey by the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania.
The findings, released in AICUP’s third annual Veterans Day survey, underscore the role of private nonprofit institutions in military education and workforce retraining, as well as the financial assistance available to veterans beyond federal benefits.
AICUP reported that its more than 80 member institutions would collectively rank as the nation’s 10th-largest GI Bill campus if treated as a single institution under the Department of Veterans Affairs’ enrollment classifications.
That ranking is a hypothetical aggregation of separate colleges rather than a designation held by an individual institution.
The survey found that 99% of AICUP institutions participate in VA programs supporting students who use GI Bill education benefits. Another 91% offer additional financial assistance through the Yellow Ribbon Program, which can help eligible students cover tuition and fees not fully paid by their GI Bill benefits.
“Independent nonprofit colleges offer little-known and surprising benefits for veterans, like the Yellow Ribbon, which can mean more funding for a veteran’s education,” AICUP President Tom Foley said.
The association also reported that 70% of its member institutions support Reserve Officers’ Training Corps programs, either by hosting ROTC units or participating through partnerships with other colleges.
Fourteen member institutions maintain dedicated veterans lounges, providing spaces for military-affiliated students to study and connect with peers.
The findings come as nonprofit colleges compete with public universities and for-profit education providers for students using federal military education benefits.
According to AICUP’s analysis of VA data, at least seven of the 20 largest GI Bill campuses nationally are for-profit institutions or affiliated with for-profit operators. Those institutions collectively enroll nearly 60,000 military students.
The association cited research from the National Bureau of Economic Research and the U.S. Senate examining educational and financial outcomes at for-profit institutions. AICUP characterized that research as showing weaker student returns at for-profit programs compared with independent nonprofit colleges.
Those findings concern broader institutional categories and do not establish the outcomes of individual students enrolled at the schools included in the survey.
Beyond veterans’ education, AICUP is seeking to emphasize the role of Pennsylvania’s independent colleges in defense-related workforce development and research.
The association was invited to participate in the inaugural Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit at the U.S. Army War College in 2026, where it presented information about member institutions’ contributions to national defense.
The event brought together defense and technology executives, military officials and civic leaders to examine connections between higher education, innovation and national security.
AICUP has also published a white paper, Higher Education is the “Secret Weapon” of National Defense, examining defense-related academic programs and other contributions by Pennsylvania’s independent nonprofit institutions.
The association attributed its 2026 veterans survey figures to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs data.
Additional information about participating institutions, including a map of AICUP member colleges and the association’s institutional value dashboard, is available through the AICUP website.
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