Minnesota 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
Flexible $15,000 lifetime state GI Bill (college, OJT, apprenticeship, licensing/cert exams) for any honorably discharged MN-resident vet, but capped at $5,000/yr – not free tuition.
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
Minnesota GI Bill – Higher Education (Minn. Stat. 197.791 subd. 5)
- What it covers
- Up to $5,000 per state fiscal year and $15,000 lifetime toward cost of attendance (minus Pell, state grant and federal military/VA education benefits) at eligible Minnesota institutions; undergraduate or graduate, certificate/diploma/degree programs. Funds-available.
- Who qualifies and limits
- Minnesota resident; veteran who served honorably in any branch at any time (or 5+ years cumulative honorable Guard/Reserve service with some after 9/11); satisfactory progress; FAFSA; apply before end of term.
Minnesota GI Bill – Apprenticeship and OJT (subd. 6)
- What it covers
- Up to $3,000/fiscal year for apprenticeship expenses and $3,000 for OJT (max $5,000/yr aggregate) plus employer placement credits.
- Who qualifies and limits
- Same veteran eligibility; approved employer programs of 6+ months leading to entry-level jobs; counts toward $15,000 lifetime cap.
Minnesota Veteran Education Assistance
Verify on the official page
- What it covers
- One-time $750 tuition grant toward completing a bachelor's degree.
- Who qualifies and limits
- MN resident (30 days, or resident before entry); veteran must have completely EXHAUSTED VA education benefits within the eligibility period – those whose benefits expired unused do not qualify.
Minnesota National Guard State Tuition Reimbursement
Verify on the official page
- What it covers
- Up to 100% of tuition, 144 semester credits lifetime.
- Who qualifies and limits
- Current Minnesota National Guard members.
For spouses and children
Minnesota Surviving Spouse and Dependent Education Benefit
Verify on the official page
- What it covers
- Free tuition at Minnesota public postsecondary institutions through a bachelor's degree, plus $750 per fiscal year from MDVA for fees, books, supplies, room and board.
- Who qualifies and limits
- Unremarried surviving spouses and children of a service member who died on active duty or of a service-connected condition.
Minnesota GI Bill – spouse/child eligibility
- What it covers
- Same MN GI Bill benefits (education, OJT, licensing/certification).
- Who qualifies and limits
- Surviving spouse/child of a service member who died as a direct result of service, or spouse/child of a veteran with a total and permanent SC disability, if eligible for federal Chapter 33 or 35 benefits; MN resident.
Help with exam and license fees
Minnesota GI Bill – Additional Professional or Educational Benefits (licensing and certification), Minn. Stat. 197.791 subd. 7
- What it pays for
- State money (not federal GI Bill) for approved licensing or certification test fees and associated fees, plus admission tests and prep courses: up to $3,000 per state fiscal year, $15,000 lifetime (shared with other MN GI Bill benefits). Tests and credentialing organizations must be approved by the MDVA commissioner – check that your test is on the MDVA approved list before you pay.
"A person eligible under this subdivision may use the benefit amounts for the following purposes: (1) licensing or certification tests, the successful completion of which demonstrates an individual's possession of the knowledge or skill required to enter into, maintain, or advance in employment in a predetermined and identified vocation or profession, provided that the tests and the licensing or credentialing organizations or entities that offer the tests are approved by the commissioner; ... (5) any fee associated with the pursuit of a professional or educational objective specified in clauses (1) to (4)." Eligible: "a veteran who is serving or has served honorably in any branch or unit of the United States armed forces at any time".
If you left the service 15 to 20 years ago
Strong for long-separated vets: MN GI Bill has no discharge deadline, no disability rating and no wartime/combat requirement for honorably discharged veterans (any time); it is reduced by any federal VA education benefits still being received, so vets whose GI Bill expired get the full amount. Requires Minnesota residency. The $750 Veteran Education Assistance excludes vets whose benefits simply expired.
Who to contact
- State veterans agency
- Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA)
- Education office
- MDVA Higher Education Veterans Programs / Minnesota GI Bill
- State Approving Agency (approves schools and programs for the GI Bill)
- Minnesota State Approving Agency (Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs)
Sources we checked
- revisor.mn.gov/statutes/2025/2025-10-19%2011:53:21+00:00/cite/197.791/pdf
- mn.gov/mdva/resources/education/educationbenefits/mngibill.jsp
- myarmybenefits.us.army.mil/Benefit-Library/State/Territory-Benefits/Minnesota
- nasaa-vetseducation.com/nasaa-contacts/
Federal benefits such as the GI Bill and VR&E are separate. See the FAQ and the GI Bill programs.