Financial & Basic Needs Support
Nothing else works if this tier isn't handled. Some of what's below you'll set up once, others you'll come back to every term, or the semester something goes sideways. It's organized around the problem you actually have, not which Baylor office owns it.
Paying for School
Military Scholarships & Aid
Who it's for: anyone with a funding gap, and anyone who hasn't rechecked since their first year.
Organizations that fund military-connected students specifically. Worth checking every year, not just your first: new ones appear and eligibility changes as you progress.
Explore Military Scholarships & Aid →
Scholarship Universe
Who it's for: anyone whose GI Bill doesn't cover everything, or whose benefit is running out.
Donor-funded and departmental scholarships, matched to your profile. Update your profile each year as your major, GPA, and classification change. If tuition is already fully covered, chase the awards that aren't tuition-restricted.
Student Financial Wellness
Who it's for: anyone carrying debt, supporting a family, or deciding whether to work during school.
Free one-on-one peer coaching on budgeting, credit, and debt. Useful when the GI Bill runs out before the degree does, or when you're weighing a job against a heavy semester.
Get Student Financial Wellness Coaching →
Student Loans, as a Last Resort
Who it's for: anyone still short after benefits, scholarships, and aid have been exhausted.
Only after everything above. If the numbers still don't work, Financial Aid can help you weigh one. Baylor One Stop: (254) 710-2311.
VETS Budgeting Tool FREE
Who it's for: all military-connected students wanting to plan their finances.
Built around GI Bill pay dates. Accounts for the lag most budgeting tools miss: payments land on the 1st of the following month, and August and December are prorated to roughly a quarter of a normal month.
Books & Academic Costs
Baylor Shields Textbook Lending Library FREE
Who it's for: every military-connected student, every single semester.
A chapter of Veterans of Baylor, run primarily by student volunteers, and housed within the Edith Walter Military Library. Borrow before you buy, and stretch the $1,000 book stipend further. Checkout instructions and passwords are reissued each term.
Returns: within 3 days of the last day of finals, drop checked-out books at the Library Drop Box in the VETS Lounge, or donate a book of equal value to the library instead of returning the one you borrowed. Need an extension? Email a photo of the book to BaylorShields@Gmail.com.
Borrow from the Textbook Lending Library →
Food & Essential Needs
The Store FREE
Who it's for: any Baylor student. No income threshold, no proof of need, no judgment.
Baylor's on-campus food pantry, located in the Sid Richardson Building: groceries, produce, hygiene and cleaning supplies, at no cost. One intake form per year, then walk in whenever you need it. Also runs a free farmers market, snack fridges across campus, and free graduation regalia.
VETS Meal Support
Who it's for: student veterans hit by a benefit delay, a lost job, or an unexpected bill.
Donor-funded meal swipes for student veterans, created when VA benefit delays left students without food. If money is the reason you'd skip a meal, this exists for exactly that. No application: just email Kevin.
Ask VETS About Emergency Meal Support →
Housing, Childcare & Unexpected Expenses
Childcare & Housing Help
Who it's for: student-parents, and anyone hunting for a lease or a roommate.
Reduced-cost childcare for student-parents through the Piper Development Center. Most student veterans live off campus, and the VETS GroupMe is the best place to find a fellow vet looking for a roommate at lease-renewal time.
Ask VETS About Childcare & Housing →
An Unexpected Expense Not Listed Above?
If something has come up that doesn't fit neatly into any category on this page, start with Kevin Davis rather than guessing which office to try.
Need Support Beyond Baylor?
Explore community veteran resources for housing, utilities, transportation, employment, and other needs the university doesn't directly provide.
Explore Community & External Veteran Resources →
Which Resource Fits My Situation?
| Your situation | Go to... |
|---|---|
| My GI Bill doesn't cover everything, or I have a funding gap. | Military Scholarships & Aid, Scholarship Universe |
| I'm carrying debt or deciding whether to work during school. | Student Financial Wellness |
| I've exhausted scholarships and aid and I'm still short. | Student Loans, as a last resort |
| I want to plan around my GI Bill pay dates. | VETS Budgeting Tool |
| I need textbooks without buying them. | Textbook Lending Library |
| I need groceries or household essentials, no questions asked. | The Store |
| A benefit delay left me without money for food. | VETS Meal Support |
| I'm a student-parent, or I need a roommate. | Childcare & Housing Help |
| I need help Baylor doesn't directly provide. | Community & External Veteran Resources |
What Do You Need Next?
- Getting Started & VA Education Benefits: certification, VR&E, and payment questions.
- Health, Wellness & Accessibility: healthcare, counseling, and academic accommodations.
- Leadership Development: credentials, career preparation, and mentorship.