MADISON, WISCONSIN – The Wisconsin Veterans Grant for Private, Nonprofit Schools is a State of Wisconsin veterans benefit available to qualified veterans, as well as certain spouses and children of qualified veterans, for use at Wisconsin private, nonprofit colleges and universities. Dependent children of qualified veterans must be at least 17 but not yet 26 years of age to qualify.
The Wisconsin Veterans Grant for Private, Nonprofit Schools includes a maximum grant per semester/session (including summer) for qualifying veterans, spouses, or dependents, with a per semester/session matching grant from the participating college or university. In 2022-2023, there were 167 students at private, nonprofit institutions receiving a Wisconsin Veterans Grant award, up 41.5 percent from the prior academic year.
Grants apply toward bachelor’s and graduate degree programs at Wisconsin’s participating private, nonprofit colleges and universities. Veterans meeting service and residency requirements may receive up to a total of $12,000 annually in grants depending on other educational benefits for which veterans may qualify. A veteran’s spouse or dependent child may also qualify depending on the veteran’s disability rating. Those eligible may receive a maximum of eight semesters of grant funding or 128 credits, whichever is longer, less any Wisconsin GI bill benefits already received at public institutions.
The Wisconsin Veterans Grant for Private, Nonprofit Schools is a collaboration between the Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board, which administers the program, and the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, which acts as the certifying agency and determines a veteran’s eligibility for the program.
Please see the Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board website for more information and to apply.
See also the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs website for eligibility determinations for the grant.
Joint Commitment to Accept Student Military Transfer Credit
Wisconsin’s Private Colleges are committed to ensuring that both active duty and military veterans receive the appropriate college credit for military education and training as applicable to their programs of study.
Wisconsin’s Private Colleges in this commitment evaluate basic and advanced military training on the Joint Services Transcript using the American Council on Education (ACE) “A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services” to help interpret and recommend credit for college courses.
Details about the type of credit these colleges and universities accept for transfer are available on our website. This information includes credit available for basic training, advanced training, and for DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSSTs). A list of Wisconsin private colleges veteran certifying officials also is available on our website.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill
The “Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008” is the most comprehensive education benefits package for veterans since the original GI Bill was enacted in 1944. Below you will find details on what the benefits package means for you—a veteran, or spouse or dependent of a veteran—at Wisconsin’s private, nonprofit colleges. A list of the certifying officials at Wisconsin’s Private Colleges is available here.
At Wisconsin’s Private Colleges, the Post-9/11 GI Bill covers tuition and mandatory fees up to $28,937.09 in 2024-2025. The tuition and fees payment are prorated by the student’s benefit level. If a college or university is participating in the voluntary Yellow Ribbon program, and the tuition and fees exceed this amount, additional funds (see “Yellow Ribbon Program” below) may be available, in some cases closing the gap completely.
More information is available here.
Yellow Ribbon Program
Colleges and universities that voluntarily enter into a Yellow Ribbon agreement with the VA cover costs that exceed the basic VA tuition and fee payment. The VA will match that amount and issue payment directly to the college or university.
Yellow Ribbon Program benefits, where available, are in addition to the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.
How to Apply
The VA application form includes instructions for submitting completed applications.
For complete information on these programs, go to www.gibill.va.gov.
Wisconsin’s Private Colleges Certifying Officials List
A printable/downloadable list of the certifying officials at each of the Wisconsin’s Private Colleges can be found here.
