Tuition, Books, Room and Board for Families of the Fallen and Totally Disabled
Idaho waives tuition and fees at its public institutions, pays up to $750 a term for books, equipment and supplies, and covers on-campus housing AND meals during full-time enrolment, for the family of a qualifying servicemember. The servicemember must have been an Idaho resident at entry into service and be a prisoner of war, missing in action, or have died of — or been determined unemployable through — injuries or wounds sustained on active duty. Up to 36 months, or four nine-month periods, within nineteen years of the qualifying event.
Verified August 27, 2026
What this benefit is
Idaho waives tuition and fees at its public institutions, pays up to $750 a term for books, equipment and supplies, and covers on-campus housing AND meals during full-time enrolment, for the family of a qualifying servicemember. The servicemember must have been an Idaho resident at entry into service and be a prisoner of war, missing in action, or have died of — or been determined unemployable through — injuries or wounds sustained on active duty. Up to 36 months, or four nine-month periods, within nineteen years of the qualifying event.
What it's worth: Tuition and fees waived, up to $750 a term for books, and on-campus housing and meals
- It waives tuition and fees at Idaho public institutions.
- It pays up to $750 PER TERM for books, equipment and supplies.
- It covers on-campus HOUSING AND MEALS during full-time enrolment. Very few state waivers reach room and board, and that is usually the larger cost.
- The servicemember must have been an Idaho resident at entry into service.
- The qualifying status is prisoner of war, missing in action, death from injuries or wounds sustained on active duty, or a determination of total permanent disability or unemployability by the VA or the Social Security Administration.
- The SSA route is unusual — a determination by Social Security counts, not only the VA's.
- The entitlement is up to 36 months, or four nine-month periods.
- The eligibility window is NINETEEN YEARS after the qualifying event. A child who was very young when it happened should check the clock before assuming there is time.
Who is entitled to it
- You are a family member of the servicemember.
- The servicemember died, is a prisoner of war or missing, or was determined unemployable through service injuries.
- You are in Idaho.
Not sure whether that describes you?
Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.
How to claim it
- 1Apply through the State Board of Education, and start with the Division of Veterans Services if you are not sure where to begin.
- 2Check the nineteen-year window against the date of the qualifying event before anything else. It is the condition most likely to have quietly closed.
- 3If the servicemember was determined unemployable by SOCIAL SECURITY rather than the VA, that counts. Say so.
- 4Ask about housing and meals explicitly. They are inside the benefit and are usually the biggest number.
- 5Confirm the servicemember was an Idaho resident at entry into service — that is the residency test, not where the family lives now.
- 6Plan the 36 months. Four nine-month periods is the alternative measure, and full-time enrolment is required for the housing element.
- Form
- Application through the Idaho State Board of Education
- File with
- Idaho State Board of Education
- Documents you will need
- dd214
- Each term
- Claimed per academic term.
Sources
- authority · published policyIdaho Division of Veterans Services — education benefits
- operating · published policyIdaho State Board of Education
This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.