West Virginia 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
Small but flexible grant that can pay certification exams; PH/MOH waiver; strong survivors' program.
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
Veterans Re-education Assistance
Verify on the official page
- What it covers
- Up to $500 per semester for tuition, tests for professional licensure or certification, or training materials; vocational and non-traditional training case-by-case
- Who qualifies and limits
- Honorably discharged; WV resident; must have exhausted GI Bill. Funding varies by legislative appropriation. Reapply each semester; no deadline.
Medal of Honor and Andrew J. Trail Purple Heart Recipient Tuition Waiver
- What it covers
- Tuition and mandatory fees at all WV public colleges
- Who qualifies and limits
- WV residents awarded the Medal of Honor or Purple Heart
For spouses and children
War Orphan Education Program (W. Va. Code 18-19-2)
- What it covers
- Tuition and fees waived at WV public schools beyond DEA/Fry, plus up to $1,000/semester ($2,000/yr) for living expenses
- Who qualifies and limits
- Surviving spouse or child (16-25) of a veteran who died of service-connected causes
Help with exam and license fees
Veterans Re-education Assistance (pays licensure/certification test costs)
Verify on the official page
- What it pays for
- Up to $500/semester; can be used for professional licensure or certification exam fees (application asks for 'Name of school (or exam)' and 'cost of the professional exam')
"Award monies may be granted at the discretion of the WVDVA for tuition assistance, tests associated with professional licensure or certification, or other training materials." (WVDVA Re-education Assistance Application.) Current page: "This program offers up to a $500 per semester stipend to Veterans enrolled in a certified post-secondary education course. Additionally, this program can assist Veterans with vocational and non-traditional education endeavors on a case-by-case basis."
If you left the service 15 to 20 years ago
Good fit for exam costs. No discharge time limit. Requires 'exhausted' GI Bill; whether expired counts isn't stated. The application asks for proof of enrollment at a WV institution or a 'test enrollment confirmation'.
Who to contact
- State veterans agency
- WV Department of Veterans Assistance (WVDVA)
- Education office
- WV Higher Education Policy Commission, Office of Veterans Education and Training Programs
- State Approving Agency (approves schools and programs for the GI Bill)
- WV Higher Education Policy Commission, Office of Veterans Education and Training Programs (SAA)
Sources we checked
- veterans.wv.gov/benefits-assistance/benefits/education-benefits
- web.archive.org/web/2024/https://veterans.wv.gov/benefits/Documents/Veteran
- cfwvconnect.com/veterans-education/
Federal benefits such as the GI Bill and VR&E are separate. See the FAQ and the GI Bill programs.