Review the benefits that are available to veterans.

There are several different chapters of the GI Bill® and each one has different eligibility criteria.

  • Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapter 30 and Chapter1606)
  • Chapter 33
    • Fry Scholarship
    • Transfer of Eligibility
  • Dependents Educational Assistance (Chapter 35)
  • Vocational Rehabilitation (Chapter 31)

For more information, including full eligibility criteria please visit:  https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/

You may be eligible for FTA if you are currently serving. FTA pays up to $250 per credit and up to 16 credits per fiscal year. Application process depends on your branch of service. For Army National Guard & Reserve members, apply online at www.armyignited.army.mil/student/. Funding requests should be submitted NLT 10 days prior to class start date. For Air Force Reserve, you will need to contact the Base Education Office.

Minnesota Army & Air National Guard members may be eligible for STR. If you are eligible for FTA, you must have applied for FTA benefits first. You must submit a Memorandum of Understanding and once courses are complete you will need to submit the Payment Request Form within 90 days of course completion. MOU and Payment Request documents should be submitted to your unit admin.

For more information, including full eligibility criteria please visit: https://ngmnpublic.azurewebsites.us/education/

The MN GI Bill® is a state benefit for veterans, non-veterans with at least 5 years of service and dependents who are also recipients of Chapter 35 or the Fry Scholarship. You must be a MN resident and apply for the FAFSA. This benefits pays up to $1000 per semester for full time and up to $500 per semester for part-time. The benefit is a last dollar program and is need-based. 

For more information, including full eligibility criteria please visit: https://mn.gov/mdva/resources/education/minnesotagibill/

For the application: https://gibill.mn.gov/Home

This benefit is provided to spouses and dependents whose Veteran spouse and/or Veteran parent died while on active duty, or as a result of a service-connected condition. If found eligible, survivors are allowed admission to Minnesota postsecondary education institutions either operated by this state or is operated publicly or privately and maintains academic standards substantially equivalent to those of comparable institutions operated in this state. Surviving spouses and dependents will be able to receive a tuition waiver until he or she obtains a bachelor's degree. In addition, MDVA will pay $750 per fiscal year towards fees, books & supplies, and/or room and board.

For more information, including full eligibility criteria please visit: https://mn.gov/mdva/resources/education/survivingspousebenefit.jsp

This is a one-time $750 grant for tuition to assist with completing a bachelor's degree for Veterans who have exhausted, through use, all of their GI Bill® benefits. Must have been a Minnesota resident at the time of entry into the Armed Forces and be a current Minnesota resident.

For more information, including full eligibility criteria please visit:  https://mn.gov/mdva/resources/education/vea.jsp

There are various scholarships offered through the SCTCC Foundation Office. To apply, visit Student Scholarships.

There are also some external opportunities for scholarships that can be found at Local and Other Scholarship Opportunities.

You may also find military related scholarships for both veterans and dependents here:  https://linkvet.org/app/custom/education Choose Scholarships under Hot Topics.

If you are not sure which benefits you may be eligible to receive, please contact Jason Wehry for assistance.

Contact

Jason Wehry is the MDVA Veterans Assistance Regional Coordinator. Jason can assist with all military related issues and education benefits, such as GI Bill®, Minnesota GI Bill, Federal Tuition Assistance, State Tuition Reimbursement, and Survivor Benefits. He can assist with referrals to federal, state, county, and community organizations and resources.
Phone: 320-493-8153
Email: Jason.L.wehry@state.mn.us

Return of Tuition Assistance

Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of TA funds originally awarded.

To comply with the new Department of Defense policy, St. Cloud Technical & Community College will return any unearned TA funds on a prorate basis through at least the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending. These funds are returned to the military Service branch.

Instances when a Service member stops attending due to a military service obligation, the educational institution will work with the affected Service member to identify solutions that will not result in student debt for the returned portion.

Schedule for return of funds:

We return all funds prior to class start date (100% return). We monitor all students with total drops throughout the semester on a weekly basis after the start date but before the 60% completion point.

  • Day 1-7 100% return
  • Day 8 77% return
  • Day 9 74% return
  • Day 10 71% return
  • Day 11 69% return
  • Day 12 66% return
  • Day 13 63% return
  • Day 14 60% return
  • Day 15 57% return
  • Day 16 54% return
  • Day 17 51% return
  • Day 18 49% return
  • Day 19 46% return
  • Day 20 43% return
  • Day 21 40% return (60% of course is completed)
  • Day 22 0% return

Note: The educational institution’s week of instruction is counted as 7 days.

  • Before or during week 1 100 % return
  • During week 2 75% return
  • During weeks 3-4 50% return
  • During week 5 40% return (60% of course is completed)
  • During weeks 6-8 0% return
  • Before or during weeks 1-2 100% return
  • During weeks 3-4 75% return
  • During weeks 5-8 50% return
  • During weeks 9-10 40% return (60% of course is completed)
  • During weeks 11-16 0% return

Unearned TA funds will be returned on a prorated basis, depending on the length of the course.

To determine the amount of TA that needs to be returned, the institution will determine the date the withdrawal was submitted, and then divide that by the number of days in the term to determine the percentage of TA that was earned by the student

Example:

The student enrolled in a course that's duration is 30 days. The withdrawal was submitted on the 14th day. The institution would perform the calculation to determine how much TA was earned by the student's attendance:

(14 divided by 30 equals 46.6%. 47% of the TA authorized was earned by the student, which means 53% of what was authorized will be returned to the DOD)