The Wisconsin National Guard Tuition Grant is an education benefit designed to help service members in the Wisconsin National Guard manage the costs of higher education. It is governed by Wisconsin statutes section 321.40.

Who is eligible?

To be eligible, students have to meet multiple criteria. Students must:

  • Be an actively drilling member of the Wisconsin National Guard, at the time of application and as of the end of the academic term
  • Be a member in good standing in the Wisconsin National Guard, at the time of application and as of the end of the academic term
  • Not be an officer at the time of application
  • Not have a prior baccalaureate degree
  • Meet satisfactory academic progress, at the time of application and as of the end of the academic term
  • Not be delinquent in child support or maintenance payments
  • Not receive the Wisconsin VetEd benefit for the same academic term
What schools qualify?

The use of this benefit is limited to “qualifying schools”. A qualifying school must fit into one of these categories:

  • It is a campus or division of the University of Wisconsin System
  • It is a technical college located within Wisconsin’s borders
  • It is an accredited institution of higher education located within Wisconsin’s borders
  • It is a public higher education institution in Minnesota that is bound by a Minnesota – Wisconsin Tuition Reciprocity agreement
  • It is a public institution of higher education in another state that has existing interstate higher education benefit agreement with a school in Wisconsin

A list of qualifying schools can be found online here: https://dma.wi.gov/education

What does the grant pay for?

It pays for 100% of actual tuition charged or the maximum in-state resident rate at UW Madison for a comparable program and number of credits, whichever is less, after any applicable financial aid is applied (excluding loans). The UW System Board of Regents sets the tuition rates for each academic year. The current tuition rates can be found online here: https://dma.wi.gov/education

How many academic terms can I use it for?

It can be used for a maximum of 8.0 full time academic terms. A full-time academic term is statutorily defined as 12.0 or more credits. A part-time academic term is defined as 0.25 to 11.9 credits. If a student uses the benefit for a part-time academic term, the amount they are eligible for is prorated.

How do I apply?

This grant must be applied for separately for each academic term. Students must use Department of Military Affairs Form 6189 to apply. Students should download the form, fill out the Student Information section and then submit the application to the certifying official at their school. This form is available at: https://dma.wi.gov/education.

For the summer 2025 academic term, this application process will be completed online.  More information will be released in the future about this process.

When are applications due?

Applications are due to Department of Military Affairs for an academic term no earlier than 90 days before an academic term begins and no later than 90 days after an academic term ends.

When is the payment made?

Department of Military Affairs is required to issue a payment to the school within 30 days of receiving the completed application from the school. When/how these amounts are credited to students’ accounts is determined by the school.

Who receives the payment?

All payments for this benefit have to be made to schools directly. Department of Military Affairs does not pay students directly.

Questions? Contact the DMA Tuition Grant Administrator at wingtuitiongrant@widma.gov or 608-242-3159.

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