Minnesota Veteran Links

Minnesota National Guard Benefits

Minnesota National Guard Education and Incentives
State Tuition Reimbursement Eligibility

• You must be a member of the Minnesota National Guard.
• You become eligible upon the day you enlist.
• Payments cannot be distributed until completion of BCT.
• You must remain in the ARNG during the course term.
• You are eligible with E1 to O5, including Warrant Officers.

Benefits provided
State Tuition Reimbursement (STR) pays up to 100 percent of your tuition after you successfully complete your coursework. The maximum reimbursement is 100 percent of the undergraduate rate at UMD.

The lifetime maximum STR benefit is for 144 semester credits, except for the following extensions. STR has been extended for a period of two years, plus the amount of time equal to the duration of your active service if you:

• have satisfactorily completed your service contract in the Minnesota National Guard.
  have served honorably in federal active service or federally-funded state active service since September 11, 2001.
• An extention of eight years beyond your separation date will be made if you were separated or discharged from that service due to a service-connected injury, disease, or disability.

Application procedures
You MUST contact your unit's full-time representative to obligate funds as soon as you know you will be going to school. You must be able to provide the name of the school, approximate start date, and number of credits you plan to take during the term.

Reimbursement
To receive your reimbursement check once the term has been completed, you MUST request reimbursement and submit copies of your grade(s) and tuition/fee statement to your unit's full-time representative. You should receive your reimbursement check within 30 days. If you fail to obligate funds (as mentioned above), you may be required to wait until June 30 to receive reimbursement.

Minnesota G.I. Bill

The Minnesota G.I. Bill program is a new program in 2007 established to provide postsecondary educational assistance to eligible Minnesota veterans who served on or after September 11, 2001. Full-time undergraduate or graduate students may be eligible receive up to $1,000 per semester and part-time students can receive up to $500 per semester.

Eligibility Requirements

You must be a Minnesota resident enrolled at Minnesota institutions who is a:

• Veteran who is serving or has served honorably in any branch of the United States armed forces at any time on or after September 11, 2001, or;
• Non-veteran who has served honorably for a total of five years or more cumulatively as a member of the Minnesota National Guard or any other active or reserve component of the United States armed forces, and any part of that service occurred on or after September 11, 2001, or;
• Surviving spouse or children of a person who has served in the military at any time on or after September 11, 2001, and who has died or has a total and permanent disability as a direct result of that military service.

You can file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/before003a.htm. If you have any questions about the FAFSA or how to fill it out, please call the Student Assistance Center at 218-726-8000.

If you are an eligible Chapter 30 or 1607 student, you will need to fill out the application and submit it with a copy of your DD-214.

If you are an eligible Chapter 1606 student, you will need to submit the application, along with a letter from your unit confirming that you have served honorably for five years or more cumulatively as a member of the Minnesota National Guard or any other active or reserve component of the United States Armed Forces.

If you are an eligible Chapter 35 student, you will need to submit the application along with a copy of your parent's DD-214.