Veterans Educational State Benefits

Veterans Educational Benefits — State

There are a variety of State Veterans Affairs programs available. Determination of eligibility and obtainment of applications is done through the County Veterans Service Office.

What's New: 2011 GI BILL Changes

To find out how changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) will affect veterans education benefits (BAH and more), please visit the VA's Post-9/11 GI Bill Changes website.

The Wisconsin GI Bill

The Wisconsin GI Bill provides a waiver (“remission”) of tuition for eligible veterans and their dependents for up to 8 full-time semesters or 128 credits at any University of Wisconsin System or Wisconsin Technical College System institution. Qualifying veterans receive a 100% remission.

A 100% remission is provided to the qualifying un-remarried surviving spouse and children of a veteran who died in the line of duty, and to the spouse and children of a veteran with substantial service-connected disabilities (combined VA service-connected disability rating of 30% or greater). For qualifying spouses, the benefit must be used within 10 years of the date of death or the initial disability rating of 30% or greater. For qualifying children, the benefit is available from ages 18 through 25. For the Wisconsin GI Bill, the veteran must have entered service as a Wisconsin resident. The benefit recipient must reside in Wisconsin.

For additional information, eligibility criteria, instructions on how to apply (PDF, 401 K) for the Wisconsin GI Bill, and statutory citations for the program, see the WDVA B0105 (PDF, 320 KB) information and application booklet or Frequently Asked Questions regarding the Wisconsin GI Bill.

Veterans Education (VetEd) Reimbursement Grant

The Veterans Education (VetEd) grant program provides a reimbursement grant based on a credit-bank system that is based on length of active duty military service to eligible veterans who have not yet been awarded a bachelor’s degree for the reimbursement of tuition and fees following successful course completion at an eligible UW, technical college, or approved private institution of higher learning.

Veterans may concurrently receive Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill (VA) benefits and VetEd for the same semester. However, individuals eligible for Wisconsin GI Bill benefits must apply for, and use those benefits in order to be eligible for VetEd reimbursement. VetEd reimbursement will be reduced to the extent that tuition and fees have already been paid by other grants, scholarships, and remissions provided for the payment of tuition and fees.

WDVA Retraining Grant

This grant is available to qualified unemployed veterans who demonstrate financial need while being retrained for employment.

For more information on Wisconsin Veterans Benefits, please refer to the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs.

Wisconsin National Guard Tuition Grant Information

The Wisconsin National Guard Tuition Grant is a grant whereby an eligible guard member, upon satisfactory completion of course(s) at a qualifying school, can apply for a tuition reimbursement.  Reimbursement is based on 100% of the tuition charged at the student’s qualifying school or the maximum resident undergraduate tuition charged by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, whichever is less.  The grant cannot pay for any fees, books or continuing education credits (CEUs).  The grant program reimburses up to eight semesters.  For additional information on this grant, please see the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs.

Veterans’ Affairs Reporting

Student veterans who fail to obtain a satisfactory grade point average of 2.0 or better upon completion of their initial semester of enrollment, or a cumulative satisfactory grade point average of 2.0 upon completion of any given semester, are placed on academic probation. Failure to achieve a satisfactory grade point average of 2.0 or better for the subsequent probationary semester results in the student’s name being reported to Veterans Affairs for unsatisfactory progress. The reporting of unsatisfactory progress results in the immediate suspension of the affected student’s educational benefits pending administrative review by Veterans Affairs. 

If you have additional questions, visit askMadisonCollege to view frequently asked Veterans Educational Benefits questions, or contact Madison College Veterans Services at (608) 246-6038 or (800) 322-6282, ext. 6038.