Veteran education benefits by state

Many states pay for college or training for veterans on top of the federal GI Bill. Some do this for veterans whose GI Bill has run out. Here is what each state, DC and the U.S. territories offer, with links to the official pages.

Checked Oct 7, 2026. State benefits change often. Confirm the details with the state agency before you apply.

Verify on the official page means we could not fully confirm that detail on the agency's own page.

Strongest states

These states earn 4 or 5 stars. Most resident veterans get free or nearly free public-college tuition, with no disability rating required.

Stars rate how much each state offers veterans themselves for college, training and exam fees (family-only programs don't count): 5 = free public-college tuition for most resident veterans, no disability rating needed; 3 = partial grants or narrower eligibility; 1 = little or nothing beyond federal benefits.

State	Rating	Main program	Key rules
Connecticut	Rated 5 out of 5 for veteran education benefits	Connecticut Veterans Tuition Waiver (UConn and CSCU)	90+ days during a wartime period (Gulf War era from Aug 2, 1990 counts); living in CT when accepted; tuition only
Illinois	Rated 5 out of 5 for veteran education benefits	Illinois Veterans' Grant (IVG)	1 year of active duty; lived in IL before service, or 15 straight years in IL since leaving active duty; tuition and fees
Texas	Rated 5 out of 5 for veteran education benefits	Hazlewood Act (Tex. Educ. Code 54.341)	Texas resident at entry, entered service in Texas, or Texas home of record; 181+ days of active duty; 150 credit hours
Wisconsin	Rated 5 out of 5 for veteran education benefits	Wisconsin GI Bill	Wisconsin at entry, or 3 straight years living in WI; tuition and fees at UW and technical colleges
Massachusetts	Rated 4 out of 5 for veteran education benefits	Categorical Tuition Waiver – Veterans	1 year living in MA; tuition only (fees not covered); undergraduate
Montana	Rated 4 out of 5 for veteran education benefits	MUS Honorably Discharged Veterans Tuition Waiver	Montana resident; honorable discharge; VA education benefits expired or used up; tuition only
New Mexico	Rated 4 out of 5 for veteran education benefits	Wartime Veteran Scholarship Fund	Post-1990 campaign or service medal; NM at entry or 10+ years in NM; tuition, fees and books; limited funds
New York	Rated 4 out of 5 for veteran education benefits	Veterans Tuition Award (VTA)	4+ years of active duty or combat-theater service; 12 months living in NY; up to SUNY tuition
Puerto Rico	Rated 4 out of 5 for veteran education benefits	Ley 203-2007 (Carta de Derechos del Veterano Puertorriqueño del Siglo XXI), Art. on education (e)	Federal education benefits used up or never had any; public-university tuition
South Dakota	Rated 4 out of 5 for veteran education benefits	Free Tuition for Veterans (SDCL 13-55-2 to 13-55-5)	Wartime-period service; South Dakota resident; no federal education benefits left; up to 4 years
U.S. Virgin Islands	Rated 4 out of 5 for veteran education benefits	Free tuition at the University of the Virgin Islands (17 V.I.C. ch. 33, sec. 471; OVA Policy Letter #2) Verify on the official page	Virgin Islands veterans; free UVI tuition and free workforce courses; fees not covered
Wyoming	Rated 4 out of 5 for veteran education benefits	Overseas Combat Veteran free tuition and fees (W.S. 19-14-106)	Wyoming resident 1 year before entry; overseas combat medal; 10 semesters of tuition and fees

State money for certification exams

Most states don't pay certification exam fees, but two pay them for many veterans out of state funds. This is separate from the federal GI Bill test reimbursement.

Minnesota: up to $3,000 a year for approved licensing and certification tests

The Minnesota GI Bill pays for approved licensing and certification tests and related fees: up to $3,000 per state fiscal year and $15,000 over your lifetime (shared with the other Minnesota GI Bill benefits). It is open to Minnesota residents who are "serving or [have] served honorably in any branch or unit of the United States armed forces at any time." The test and the testing organization must be approved by the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA), so check MDVA's list before you pay.

Official law: Minn. Stat. 197.791

West Virginia: up to $500 a semester after the GI Bill is used up Verify on the official page

West Virginia's Veterans Re-education Assistance pays up to $500 a semester to honorably discharged West Virginia veterans who have used up their GI Bill. The agency's application says awards may go to "tests associated with professional licensure or certification." Awards are case-by-case and depend on funding.

Official page: veterans.wv.gov

Narrower help

Texas: waives state license application and exam fees when your military training meets the license requirements. Covers state licenses only.
Wisconsin: waives the one-time initial fee for state licenses from 13 agencies. Its Veterans Retraining Grant pays up to $3,000 a year for 2 years to unemployed or underemployed veterans who are retraining.
Florida: waives teacher certification fees and first-attempt teacher exam fees for veterans and spouses.
Ohio: waives educator license fees and offers vouchers for the teacher licensure exams.
Kansas: spouses of veterans don't pay professional licensing fees. Verify on the official page

Left the service 15 to 20 years ago?

Federal GI Bill benefits may have expired. These states help anyway, and some only help once federal benefits are gone:

Illinois: veterans who have lived in Illinois for 15 straight years since leaving active duty qualify for the Illinois Veterans' Grant, even if they lived elsewhere before service.
Montana: the university tuition waiver is for veterans whose VA education benefits have expired or been used up.
South Dakota: free tuition for wartime-period veterans who have no federal education benefits left.
Puerto Rico: free public-university tuition for veterans who have used up, or never had, federal benefits.
West Virginia and Utah: help after the GI Bill is used up. Ask whether an expired, unused benefit counts.
Connecticut: no time limit, and living in Connecticut when accepted is enough, even if you moved there recently.
Wisconsin: no time limit; veterans who entered service elsewhere qualify after 3 straight years in Wisconsin.

Find your state

Each page lists the state's programs for veterans and families, who qualifies, help with exam and license fees, and who to contact.

DC and U.S. territories

About the star ratings

Stars measure what a state offers veterans themselves for college, training and exam fees. Programs only for spouses, children or the National Guard don't raise the score.
Rated 5 out of 5 for veteran education benefits free public-college tuition (and often fees) for most resident veterans, no disability rating needed. Rated 4 out of 5 for veteran education benefits free tuition with tighter limits, such as tuition only, residency at entry, a combat medal, or federal benefits used up first. Rated 3 out of 5 for veteran education benefits partial grants or tuition help for narrower groups. Rated 2 out of 5 for veteran education benefits mostly disability-based, Purple Heart or family programs. Rated 1 out of 5 for veteran education benefits little or nothing beyond federal benefits.
Most programs require you to live in the state, and some require that you lived there when you joined. Each state page lists these rules.
To use the GI Bill at a school, the school must be approved by the state's approving agency. Each state page links to that agency where we found it.
This is a summary, not legal advice. Not affiliated with the VA or any state agency. Found an error? Email info@skillsforvets.org.

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