Program Description
The Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) program encourages institutions of higher education (IHEs) to develop model programs to support veteran student success in postsecondary education by coordinating services to address the academic, financial, physical, and social needs of veteran students.
What's New
The Employment and Training Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor (Labor) is soliciting applications in support of the administration of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) – Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Secretary of Education (Secretary). Applications are due June 23, 2026. Find more information about how to apply by viewing the application notice and instructions and the Applicant Info and Eligibility tab.
Call for Peer Reviewers
ED is seeking individuals to serve as peer reviewers and assess grant program applications for the FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program grant competition.
For more information, please review the Call for Peer Reviewers: Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program.
Funding
FY 2026 Funding Information
- Estimated Total Grant Funding: $9,000,000
- Expected Number of Awards: 4
- Award Ceiling: $3,000,000
Legislation
- Title VIII, Section 873 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1161t
Regulations
- There are no program-specific regulations.
- Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99.
- Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education only.
Performance Reports
At the end of the project period, grantees must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If a grantee receives a multi-year award, it must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c).
Grantees submit reports through the FIPSE Grant Database. The Department provides grantees with the required password and other information needed to access the FIPSE database system. The database also includes a publicly accessible searchable catalog of abstracts of projects funded under OPE's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education programs.
Performance Measure
Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the following performance measure will be used by the Department in assessing the success of the Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: The extent to which funded projects increase enrollment, persistence, and completion of veteran students in postsecondary education. Grantees will be asked to collect and report data on this measure in the annual performance report (EDGAR, 34 CFR 75.590).
Application Information
FY 2026 Competition Timeline
- Application Available: May 21, 2026
- Application Deadline: June 23, 2026
FY 2026 Application Resources
- FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: Application Notice and Instructions
- FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: Pre-Application Webinar Slides
- FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: Pre-Application Webinar Recording
- FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Eligibility
- Eligible applicants are Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
Past Awards
FY 2024 Awards
- Number of New Awards: 13
- Average Size of Awards: $684,000
- Total new awards: $8,892,000
- FY 2024 CEVSS New Awards
- FY 2024 CEVSS Project Abstracts
FY 2023 Awards
- Number of New Awards: 16
- Average Award: $556,915
- Total new awards: $8,910,642
- FY 2023 CEVSS New Awards
- FY 2023 Project Abstracts
FY 2022 Awards
- Number of New Awards: 14
- Average award: $525,000
- Total new awards: $8,027,942
- FY 2022 CEVSS New Awards
- FY 2022 CEVSS Project Abstracts
FY 2021 Awards
- Number of New Awards: 16
- Average award: $441,500
- Total new awards: $6,873,010
- FY 2021 CEVSS New Awards
- FY 2021 CEVSS Project Abstracts
FY 2020 Awards
- Number of new awards: 16
- Average award: $441,500
- Total new awards funded: $6,954,250
- FY 2020 CEVSS New Awards
- FY 2020 CEVSS Project Abstracts
FY 2016-2019 Awards
- No new awards
FY 2015 Awards
- Number of new awards: 13
- Average award: $330,000
- Total new awards funded: $4,961,846
- FY 2015 CEVSS New Awards
- FY 2015 CEVSS Project Abstracts
- Google map showing the FY 2015 grantees
FY 2011-2014 Awards
- No new awards
FY 2026 Application Resources
- FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: Application Notice and Instructions
- FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: Pre-Application Webinar Slides
- FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: Pre-Application Webinar Recording
- FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Program Description
The Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) program encourages institutions of higher education (IHEs) to develop model programs to support veteran student success in postsecondary education by coordinating services to address the academic, financial, physical, and social needs of veteran students.
What's New
The Employment and Training Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor (Labor) is soliciting applications in support of the administration of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) – Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Secretary of Education (Secretary). Applications are due June 23, 2026. Find more information about how to apply by viewing the application notice and instructions and the Applicant Info and Eligibility tab.
Call for Peer Reviewers
ED is seeking individuals to serve as peer reviewers and assess grant program applications for the FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program grant competition.
For more information, please review the Call for Peer Reviewers: Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program.
Funding
FY 2026 Funding Information
- Estimated Total Grant Funding: $9,000,000
- Expected Number of Awards: 4
- Award Ceiling: $3,000,000
Legislation
- Title VIII, Section 873 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. 1161t
Regulations
- There are no program-specific regulations.
- Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98 and 99.
- Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of higher education only.
Performance Reports
At the end of the project period, grantees must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. If a grantee receives a multi-year award, it must submit an annual performance report that provides the most current performance and financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c).
Grantees submit reports through the FIPSE Grant Database. The Department provides grantees with the required password and other information needed to access the FIPSE database system. The database also includes a publicly accessible searchable catalog of abstracts of projects funded under OPE's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education programs.
Performance Measure
Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA), the following performance measure will be used by the Department in assessing the success of the Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: The extent to which funded projects increase enrollment, persistence, and completion of veteran students in postsecondary education. Grantees will be asked to collect and report data on this measure in the annual performance report (EDGAR, 34 CFR 75.590).
Application Information
FY 2026 Competition Timeline
- Application Available: May 21, 2026
- Application Deadline: June 23, 2026
FY 2026 Application Resources
- FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: Application Notice and Instructions
- FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: Pre-Application Webinar Slides
- FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: Pre-Application Webinar Recording
- FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Eligibility
- Eligible applicants are Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
Past Awards
FY 2024 Awards
- Number of New Awards: 13
- Average Size of Awards: $684,000
- Total new awards: $8,892,000
- FY 2024 CEVSS New Awards
- FY 2024 CEVSS Project Abstracts
FY 2023 Awards
- Number of New Awards: 16
- Average Award: $556,915
- Total new awards: $8,910,642
- FY 2023 CEVSS New Awards
- FY 2023 Project Abstracts
FY 2022 Awards
- Number of New Awards: 14
- Average award: $525,000
- Total new awards: $8,027,942
- FY 2022 CEVSS New Awards
- FY 2022 CEVSS Project Abstracts
FY 2021 Awards
- Number of New Awards: 16
- Average award: $441,500
- Total new awards: $6,873,010
- FY 2021 CEVSS New Awards
- FY 2021 CEVSS Project Abstracts
FY 2020 Awards
- Number of new awards: 16
- Average award: $441,500
- Total new awards funded: $6,954,250
- FY 2020 CEVSS New Awards
- FY 2020 CEVSS Project Abstracts
FY 2016-2019 Awards
- No new awards
FY 2015 Awards
- Number of new awards: 13
- Average award: $330,000
- Total new awards funded: $4,961,846
- FY 2015 CEVSS New Awards
- FY 2015 CEVSS Project Abstracts
- Google map showing the FY 2015 grantees
FY 2011-2014 Awards
- No new awards
FY 2026 Application Resources
- FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: Application Notice and Instructions
- FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: Pre-Application Webinar Slides
- FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: Pre-Application Webinar Recording
- FY 2026 Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success Program: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)