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Free Undergraduate Tuition for the Children of POWs and the Missing

New Jersey pays free undergraduate tuition at a public OR PRIVATE institution for the child of a servicemember officially declared a prisoner of war or missing in action after 1 January 1960. The private-institution half is unusual — most state tuition benefits stop at public colleges, and this one does not. The residency test is not established from the sources reviewed, so ask the Veterans Benefits Bureau rather than assuming you are outside it.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

New Jersey pays free undergraduate tuition at a public OR PRIVATE institution for the child of a servicemember officially declared a prisoner of war or missing in action after 1 January 1960. The private-institution half is unusual — most state tuition benefits stop at public colleges, and this one does not. The residency test is not established from the sources reviewed, so ask the Veterans Benefits Bureau rather than assuming you are outside it.

What it's worth: Free undergraduate tuition at a New Jersey public or private institution

  • The parent must have been OFFICIALLY DECLARED a prisoner of war or missing in action AFTER 1 JANUARY 1960.
  • Free UNDERGRADUATE tuition.
  • AT A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE INSTITUTION — most state tuition benefits stop at public colleges.
  • THE RESIDENCY TEST IS NOT ESTABLISHED from the sources reviewed. Ask the Veterans Benefits Bureau.
  • This is separate from New Jersey's War Orphans Tuition Assistance, which covers children of those who died.

Who is entitled to it

  • You are a servicemember's child.
  • Your parent was declared a prisoner of war or missing in action.
  • You are enrolled or applying.
  • New Jersey institutions.

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

  1. 1Apply to the New Jersey Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Bureau.
  2. 2Have the official declaration of POW or MIA status — that is what the benefit turns on.
  3. 3Consider private institutions as well as public ones. This benefit covers both.
  4. 4Ask what residency is required; it is not published and we have not guessed at it.
  5. 5Ask how this interacts with War Orphans Tuition Assistance if the status later changed to a declaration of death.
Form
Application to the Veterans Benefits Bureau
File with
NJ Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Bureau
No renewal
Once granted it does not need renewing.
Worth knowingThe private-institution coverage is worth checking before a family narrows its search to state colleges on cost grounds.

Sources

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.