Massachusetts veteran education benefits
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. How we rate
Tuition waiver at all MA public colleges for most honorably discharged vets with 1-year residency, but fees (often the bigger cost) are not covered and it is undergraduate only.
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.
For veterans
Categorical Tuition Waiver – Veterans
- What it covers
- Full tuition waiver (consistent with institution policy) at Massachusetts public community colleges, state universities and UMass. TUITION ONLY – campus fees are not included (schools may optionally waive some fees). Undergraduate degree or certificate programs, at least 3 credits per semester.
- Who qualifies and limits
- Physically reside in Massachusetts for at least one year as of the start of the term; veteran as defined in M.G.L. c.4 s.7(43) (wartime periods incl. Persian Gulf; Army benefits summary: discharge under honorable conditions after 180+ days active duty in peacetime, or 90+ days with at least one day in a wartime theater); file FAFSA/MASFA; not in default.
Massachusetts National Guard Education Assistance Program
Verify on the official page
- What it covers
- 100% tuition and fee waiver at state colleges, universities and community colleges.
- Who qualifies and limits
- Current Massachusetts National Guard members only.
In-state tuition for nonresident veterans and dependents
Verify on the official page
- What it covers
- Resident rate at MA public colleges. Rate only.
- Who qualifies and limits
- See DHE rules.
For spouses and children
Public Service Grant
Verify on the official page
- What it covers
- Entitlement (not need-based) undergraduate grant at eligible Massachusetts institutions.
- Who qualifies and limits
- Children of veterans whose service was credited to Massachusetts and who were killed in action or died as a result of service; full-time enrollment; FAFSA.
If you left the service 15 to 20 years ago
Good fit: no time-since-discharge limit and no disability rating; 1 year of Massachusetts residency. Caveat: at MA public colleges, mandatory fees are often much larger than 'tuition', so the waiver may cover only a fraction of the bill.
Who to contact
- State veterans agency
- Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS)
- Education office
- Massachusetts Department of Higher Education – Office of Veterans Education / Office of Student Financial Assistance
- State Approving Agency (approves schools and programs for the GI Bill)
- Massachusetts Department of Higher Education – Office of Veterans Education (State Approving Agency)
Sources we checked
- mass.edu/osfa/programs/categorical.asp
- mass.edu/forstufam/veterans/home.asp
- mass.gov/info-details/public-service-grant-program
- myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/Benefit-Library/State/Territory-Benefits/Massachusetts
Federal benefits such as the GI Bill and VR&E are separate. See the FAQ and the GI Bill programs.