DoD Partnership and Compliance
Department of Defense Memorandum of Understanding
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (“WPI”) has entered into a Department of Defense (“DoD”) Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with the DoD Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. The MOU underscores WPI’s commitment to comply with DoD requirements regarding institutional practices to accept tuition funds through each Military Service Tuition Assistance Program in exchange for educational services. Some of WPI’s key commitments as required by the DoD MOU are described below.
No Incentive Payments for Student Enrollments or Securing Federal Financial Aid
WPI does not provide any commission, bonus, or other incentive compensation based directly or indirectly on securing enrollments, or federal financial aid (including Tuition Assistance funds) to any of its employees, vendors or agents who are engaged in any student recruiting, admission activities, or who make decisions regarding the award of student financial assistance. For more information, see the full Federal Ban on Incentive Compensation for Student Recruiting Activities or the Awarding of Federal Financial Aid policy.
No High-Pressure Recruitment Tactics
WPI refrains from using high-pressure recruitment tactics, such as making multiple (three or more) unsolicited contacts with prospective students, including contacts by phone, email, or in-person, and does not engage in same-day recruitment and registration for the purpose of securing Service member enrollments. At WPI, we firmly believe that enrollment decisions are to be made by the applicant and their family. For more information, see the full Policy Against High-Pressure Tactics to Recruit Military Service Members.
Pre-Enrollment Information
WPI directs Service members to speak with their Educational Services Officer (ESO) or counselor within their Military Service prior to enrolling the student in the institution.
Find additional information for potential undergraduate students here.
Find additional information for potential graduate students here.
Cost of Attendance
WPI discloses total estimated yearly program cost information, including tuition, fees, price of books and other course materials, and other living expenses on the Cost of Attendance page.
Financial Aid Process
For information on the financial aid process, including the timeline for the application process, visit the Financial Aid page.
Student Cohort Default Rate
The WPI student loan Cohort Default Rate is located on the Loans and Financing Options page. More information may also be found on WPI’s Data Resources website under the Common Data Set heading.
Points of Contact
The DoD MOU requires WPI to designate a Point of Contact or office for academic and financial advising, including access to disability counseling, to assist Service members with completion of studies and with job search activities. The Point of Contact will assist Service members seeking information about academic counseling, financial aid counseling, and student support services, or will refer Service members to the appropriate individual/office on campus, and will have a basic understanding of the military tuition assistance program, Title IV Funding, educational benefits offered by the VA, and other institutional services available to Service Members.
Point of Contact for Veteran Services
School Certifying Official
Patrick LaRiviere
508-831-5211
plariviere@wpi.edu
Point of Contact for Title IV Financial Aid
Executive Director, Financial Aid
Jessica Sabourin
508-831-5469
jsabourin@wpi.edu
Return of Unearned Tuition Assistance Funds
Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s (“WPI”) refund policy for military tuition assistance can be found on the Military Tuition Assistance (TA) Refund Policy and Schedule page.
Transfer Credit Policies and Procedures
The DoD MOU requires WPI to disclose to Service members our credit transfer agreements and policies regarding transfer credit to Service members before Service members’ enrollment. WPI maintains several transfer articulation agreements with several partner institutions. A detailed list of those institutions is accessible on the Transfer Agreements and Course Guides page.
WPI awards transfer credit for courses from institutions outside the listed articulation agreements following our transfer credit policies for undergraduate and graduate coursework. Full details as well as information on transfer equivalencies to date can be on the Transfer Credit page.
For WPI undergraduates, there is no transfer credit limit. However all undergraduates must earn a minimum of 8 units (72 credits) of course/project work at WPI to complete the residency requirement, regardless of the number of transfer credits applied to your degree requirements. For WPI graduate students, a maximum of one-third of the credit requirements for a graduate degree may be satisfied by courses taken elsewhere. However, credits used toward the requirements for an earned degree at another institution are not eligible for transfer.
Activations and Readmission of Service Members Returning to the College After Active Duty
If a student is activated during a semester, they should contact the School Certifying Official (SCO) for next steps.
Unless precluded by military necessity, a student must provide oral or written notice of a uniformed service obligation to the Office of Veteran Services as far in advance of their activation day as possible.
Students returning from active service must follow the US Military Readmission Policy.