Introduction

The Wisconsin National Guard Tuition Grant (WING Tuition Grant) was established in 1977 under Wis. Stat. § 321.40. It is a state-funded higher education benefit available to students who are members of the Wisconsin National Guard who attend qualifying schools and meet eligibility criteria. It can be used for undergraduate coursework by students who are pursuing a professional certificate, an associate’s degree or like education up to their first baccalaureate degree. It is currently administered by the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs (DMA).

The purpose of this manual is to provide answers about how DMA administers the benefit. The manual is broken down into the following parts:

• Part 1: Wisconsin State Statute and WING Regulation References
• Part 2: Definitions of Terms
• Part 3: WING Tuition Grant Eligibility Requirements
• Part 4: Usage of the WING Tuition Grant
• Part 5: Tuition Amount Caps for the WING Tuition Grant
• Part 6: Application Process
• Part 7: Payment of the Grant
• Part 8: Recoupment of the Grant
• Part 9: Frequently Asked Questions

Part 1: Wisconsin State Statute and WING Regulation References

The Wisconsin National Guard (WING) Tuition Grant is governed by section 321.40 of the Wisconsin Statutes. Wis. Stat. § 321.40 provides the foundation of the requirements for the benefit. It creates the eligibility requirements for students, the limitations for the benefit’s usage, and outlines the categories of schools where students are allowed to use this benefit. It also outlines how DMA should administer the WING Tuition Grant and the situations when DMA must recoup the funds. Finally, the law requires DMA to establish ‘duty eligibility criteria’. All of these aspects of the grant are discussed in greater detail in later sections of this document. Wis. Stat. § 321.40 can be accessed for reference online at https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/321/iv/40.

DMA’s definition of ‘duty eligibility criteria’ is provided in WING Regulation 621-7, where it states:

WING Servicemembers who are in good standing are deemed to have met the duty eligibility criteria established by DMA. To be in good standing, WING Servicemembers must not be pending involuntary separation for reasons defined in [WING 621-7]. Servicemembers who are retained at the conclusion of such proceedings may resume utilizing the grant if all other eligibility criteria defined in [WING Reg 621-7] are met. No grant payments will be issued retroactively for Servicemembers who were ineligible upon conclusion of a term.

1. For Army personnel, duty eligibility for the WING Tuition Grant will cease on the effective date of a Suspension of Favorable Actions (SFPA) flag code B (involuntary separation or discharge).
2. For Air personnel, duty eligibility will cease on the date involuntary separation proceedings are initiated.”

Part 2: Definitions

Academic Term: A portion of the calendar year which a school designates for instruction and examinations on a certain schedule. For the purposes of the Wisconsin National Guard Tuition Grant benefit, it is defined as beginning on the first day of any class within the term and ending on the last day there are any exams for that term.

National Guard Certifying Official (NGCO): A Wisconsin National Guard official who works for either the Wisconsin Air National Guard or the Wisconsin Army National Guard whose responsibility is to certify a student’s enlistment and standing information in the National Guard.

Qualifying School: A school or other accredited educational institution that meets the statutory criteria outlined in Wis. Stat. § 321.40(1)(c).

Quarterly School: A qualifying school whose regular academic calendar consists of quarterly courses.

School Certifying Official (SCO): A qualifying school official who works for a school whose responsibility is to certify a student’s attendance and performance at that school.

Separation Recoupment: A recoupment that is the result of a service member’s separation from the Wisconsin National Guard. The amount being recouped is the amount received from this benefit by the service member over the entirety of their career.

Single-Term Recoupment: A recoupment that is the result of a service member not meeting the end of the term eligibility criteria. A service member’s eligibility at the end of the term is determined via the recertification process. (The recertification process is discussed in further detail Part 6: Application Process).

Student: An individual who is enrolled in a full-time or part-time academic term at a qualifying school who is applying for this benefit.

Tuition: Any amount a school identifies as tuition on its websites and informational materials; anything defined as a fee on the websites or informational materials is not tuition and therefore not covered.

Tuition Charged: The amount that a student would have to pay out of pocket for tuition after any other financial aid or benefits are applied to their tuition costs. Financial aid means any tuition-specific grants or scholarships that the student receives for their education that they would not be required to pay back (i.e. it does not include loans).

Part 3: WING Tuition Grant Eligibility Requirements

Qualifying Schools

Section 321.40(1)(c) of the Wisconsin statutes only allows students to use this grant when enrolled in academic terms at a “qualifying school”. A school or institution must fall into one of the following categories to be considered a “qualifying school”:

• It is a campus or division of the University of Wisconsin System
• It is a public higher education institution or public vocational school in Minnesota that has an existing Minnesota – Wisconsin Tuition Reciprocity agreement
• It is a public institution of higher education in another state that has an existing interstate higher education benefit agreement with a school in Wisconsin
• It is an accredited institution of higher education as defined in 20 USC 1002 located within Wisconsin’s borders (including beauty schools)
• It is a technical college located within Wisconsin’s borders

A list of qualifying schools can be found online on DMA’s Wisconsin National Guard Tuition Grant website: https://dma.wi.gov/wisconsin-national-guard-tuition-grant/ If the school is not listed on that website, please reach out to the DMA Tuition Grant Administrator at wingtuitiongrant@widma.gov prior to enrolling to determine eligibility for the grant. Failure to verify if a school is qualifying prior to enrollment may result in denial of benefits under this grant.

How Does a School Enter an Interstate Higher Education Benefit Agreement?

All out-of-state schools who wish to enter into an interstate higher education benefit agreement to qualify for this grant must follow sections  39.42, 39.47 (Minnesota-Wisconsin Reciprocity Agreement) or 39.80 (Midwestern Higher Education Compact) of the Wisconsin Statutes and obtain the approval of the Higher Education Aid Board and the Wisconsin Joint Committee on Finance.

Student Eligibility Requirements

Student Eligibility Requirements are divided into three categories. Students must meet all the eligibility criteria within each category to be eligible for this benefit for each academic term. The three categories are:

1. Academic Requirements
2. Wisconsin National Guard Requirements
3. Other Requirements

1. Academic Requirements

Students must meet three academic eligibility requirements to qualify for this benefit. Students:

• Must be enrolled in a full-time or part-time academic term in a qualifying school
• Must achieve satisfactory academic progress, as defined by the school the student is attending, at the time they apply for the grant AND at the end of the academic term
• Cannot have a prior baccalaureate degree or its equivalent

2. Wisconsin National Guard Requirements

In addition to the academic requirements listed above, a student must meet multiple Wisconsin National Guard eligibility requirements to qualify for this benefit. Students:

• Must be an actively drilling member of the Wisconsin National Guard at the time they apply for the grant AND at the end of the academic term for which they are applying
• Cannot be a commissioned officer at the time they apply for the grant
• Must be in good standing in the National Guard at the time of the application AND at the end of the academic term for which they are applying. This means a student does not have a flag on their record for a misconduct separation.
• Cannot be absent without leave (AWOL) for more than 9 unit training assemblies during their Wisconsin National Guard career

3. Other Requirements

Furthermore, students must meet two additional eligibility criteria. Students:

• Cannot be delinquent in child support or maintenance payments or owe past support, medical expenses, or birth-related expenses
• Cannot also receive the Vet Ed benefit for the academic term for which they want to use this grant (Wis. Stats. 45.20(2))

When is a Student’s Eligibility Evaluated?

A student’s eligibility for the grant is evaluated as of the date they apply for the grant via the electronic application portal. At the time of application, the student must satisfy all the eligibility criteria in the three categories outlined above. However, a student must only meet some of these eligibility criteria as of the final day of the academic term for which the grant is intended.

How is a Student’s Eligibility Evaluated?

A student’s eligibility for the grant is determined via the application process based on information provided by the qualifying school, the National Guard Education Office, and county child support agency. When a student applies for the grant before the last date of the academic term, their application will undergo the additional step of recertification after the end of the academic term to ensure the student still meets the required eligibility criteria at the end of that academic term. When a student applies for the grant after the last date of the academic term, the eligibility criteria for both points in time are checked during the initial application process.

Part 4: Usage of the WING Tuition Grant

Wisconsin law limits the total number of credits a student can cover using the benefit. This means the benefit is not unlimited. Usage is measured by the number of credits the student takes in an academic term.

Maximum Number of Academic Terms

Wisconsin law limits the number of academic terms/credits for which a student can use the grant to a maximum of 8.0 full-time academic terms or 120 credits of part-time study. A student must have been approved for the benefit, and not had to repay it, for it to be counted towards their usage of the benefit.

Students do not have to be enrolled in a full-time academic term to use the benefit. A student can use it for any combination of full-time and part-time academic terms up to the 8.0 full-time academic term cap.

In situations where a student is attending multiple qualifying schools in concurrent academic terms, the usage of the benefit is assessed separately for each school, but the combination of the benefit cannot surpass the maximum terms or credits identified above.

Calculating Usage of the Benefit

To calculate how much of the grant a student has used at a qualifying school for an academic term, there are two factors to consider:

• Whether the student attended a quarterly qualifying school
• The number of credits the student was enrolled in at that qualifying school

Quarterly vs. Non-Quarterly Qualifying Schools

The definition of a quarterly qualifying school is provided in Part 3. The distinction between quarterly and non-quarterly qualifying schools is only relevant when calculating how much of the benefit the student has used for an academic term. Attending a quarterly qualifying school does not change the maximum dollar amount a student is eligible for in an academic term or how the full-time or part-time academic terms are defined.

Full-Time & Part-Time Academic Terms

What differentiates a full-time and a part-time academic term is the number of credits in which the student is enrolled in at that qualifying school for that term. Figure 1 below illustrates how the number of credits a student is taking affects how their usage of the grant is considered.

Calculating Usage of the Grant at a Quarterly Qualifying School

Quarterly qualifying schools have their credits converted to a percentage of an academic term to equalize the credits, and therefore the benefit, with a non-quarterly school. When a student is enrolled in a full-time academic term at a quarterly qualifying school, their usage is counted as 0.667 academic terms.

To calculate how much of the benefit is used by a student for a part-time academic term at a quarterly qualifying school, divide the number of credits the student is enrolled in by 22.5. As an example, if a student is taking 9.0 credits for an academic term, divide 9 by 22.5 (9/22.5) which equals 0.4. The student has used 0.4 academic term(s) of the benefit for that academic term at that qualifying school.

Calculating Usage of the Grant at a Non-Quarterly Qualifying School

When a student is enrolled in a full-time academic term at a non-quarterly qualifying school, it is counted as 1.0 academic term(s).

To calculate how much of the benefit is used by a student for a part-time academic term at a non-quarterly qualifying school, divide the number of credits the student is enrolled in by 15. For example, if a student is taking 9.0 credits for an academic term, divide 9 by 15 (9/15), which equals 0.6. The student has used 0.6 academic term(s) of the benefit for that academic term at that qualifying school.

Part 5: Tuition Amount Caps for the WING Tuition Grant

Wisconsin law limits the amount a student is eligible to receive for this grant for an academic term to the lesser of the tuition they are charged for the academic term or the maximum applicable UW Madison in-state resident tuition rate for a similar undergraduate program, as established by the UW System Board. The applicable tuition rate is affected by the student’s degree specialty (major) and the number of credits the student is enrolled in for that academic term.

There are three factors to consider when calculating the dollar amount a student is eligible for under the Wisconsin National Guard Tuition Grant for an academic term. The factors are:

1. The tuition, not including fees, charged to the student by the qualifying school for an academic term after applicable tuition-specific financial aid is applied.
2. The number of credits the student is taking for that academic term.
3. The maximum in-state resident undergraduate tuition rate at UW Madison for a similar program for that academic term.

The above-mentioned factors that are considered when calculating the dollar amount a student is eligible for under the WING Tuition Grant for an academic term are discussed in greater detail below.

Factors That Affect the Maximum Dollar Amount Per Term

Factor 1: Tuition Charged by the Qualifying School

If a student is charged a tuition amount by their qualifying school that is less than the UW Madison in-state resident undergraduate tuition rate for a similar degree specialty (major) for the same number of credits for that academic term, then that is the maximum amount for which the student is eligible.

Tuition charged is defined as the amount that a student would have to pay out of pocket for tuition after any other financial aid or benefits are applied to their tuition costs. Financial aid means any tuition-specific grants or scholarships that the student receives for their education that they would not be required to pay back (i.e., it does not include loans). It does not include fees.

Factor 2: The Number of Credits the Student is Taking

The maximum tuition amount a student is eligible for depends on the number of credits they are enrolled in for the academic term.

Factor 3: The Applicable UW Madison Maximum Tuition Rate

The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System sets the UW Madison in-state resident undergraduate tuition rates every academic year. DMA applies the tuition rate for a designated academic year from September 1^st of the first calendar year of that designated academic year to August 31^st of the second calendar year of that designated academic year. For example, the 2024-2025 UW Madison tuition rates for each program were applied to academic terms running from September 1, 2024, through August 31, 2025. These rates include any applicable tuition differentials for certain degree specialties (majors) at UW Madison. Students who are enrolled in the same or similar degree specialty (major) at another school to one offered by UW Madison are eligible for the applicable tuition differential. The UW Madison tuition rates can be accessed online at https://www.wisconsin.edu/budget-planning/tuition/#tuition-setting.

Qualifying schools/school certifying officials are best qualified to identify if a student at their school is in a like-degree specialty (major) to one offered at UW Madison. Therefore, School certifying officials are responsible for identifying if a student is enrolled in a major that is similar to a major offered at UW Madison. Pre-program classes, including mandatory prerequisite classes, are not considered a part of that program. Students in mandatory prerequisite classes are not considered eligible for a differential tuition rate.

Most majors are eligible for the Standard major program tuition amounts. Lists of the majors in each program with an applicable tuition differential can be found online here: https://www.wisc.edu/

Calculating the Maximum Tuition Amount Eligible

A student can use the factors described above to determine the applicable maximum dollar amount they are eligible to receive. How this amount is calculated depends on how many credits the student is taking at a school for that academic term. These calculation methods are listed in Figure 2 below.

Following the correct calculation method, a student can identify the maximum tuition amount for which they are eligible.

Part 6: Application Process

Students are required to apply for the WING Tuition Grant separately for each academic term. Applications from students must be submitted no earlier than 90 days before an academic term starts and no later than 90 days after an academic term ends.

Students must apply for this benefit via the online application portal. The application portal may be accessed on DMA’s Wisconsin National Guard Tuition Grant website: https://dma.wi.gov/wisconsin-national-guard-tuition-grant/ . The application portal replaces the use of the paper application form (DMA Form 6189) to apply for the benefit. Paper applications are no longer accepted for processing as of November 7^th, 2025.

An application for an academic term follows the process illustrated in Figure 3. If the student applies before the end of the academic term, then the application will go through the recertification process outlined in Figure 4.

Part 7: Payment of the Grant

Payment of the grant is made directly to the qualifying school within 30 days of receipt of a completed application by the DMA Tuition Grant Administrator. Schools apply the grant payment received from DMA against the student’s tuition. Payments are made either by ACH or paper check. DMA provides some identifying information with each payment to help the school identify and correctly apply the payment to the student’s account.

Any tuition remaining after the grant is received is the responsibility of the student. The amount that a student is eligible for is capped at the UW Madison tuition rate applicable for the student’s degree specialty and number of credits they are enrolled in.

Returning Payments of the Grant

When a payment needs to be returned to DMA, it can only be done via paper check. The check should be made out to the Department of Military Affairs.

The check should be mailed to:

Department of Military Affairs
ATTN: State Budget and Finance
PO Box 14587
Madison, WI 53708

Part 8: Recoupment of the Grant

Wisconsin law mandates a student must repay the grant in two situations:

1. Single-Term Recoupment: If a student fails to meet specific academic or National Guard eligibility criteria at the end of the academic term, they must repay the benefit for that term.
2. Separation Recoupment: If a student is separated from the Wisconsin National Guard due to misconduct, they must repay the benefit for any term(s) affected by the separation.

Recoupments are discussed in greater detail in the Wisconsin National Guard Tuition Grant Recoupments Manual.

Part 9: Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is there an appeal process if my application is denied?

No. If you have a question about the decision made on your application, contact the DMA Tuition Grant Administrator at the information provided below.

2. Will DMA honor the results of a student’s satisfactory academic progress (SAP) appeal at their school?

Yes.

3. What happens if my application was denied, but I became eligible before the end date of the academic term?

Students may reapply for the benefit once they become eligible for that academic term, within the required deadline (no later than 90 days after the end date of the academic term).

4. I was away at training and was not able to submit my application within the deadline. Can I be granted an exception?

No. Exceptions for meeting the submission deadline are not granted. The timeline for submitting the application covers 90 days prior to 90 days after the academic term. Students must apply for the benefit within those timeframes as specified in statute.