Veterans Alliance is privately owned and operated to serve veterans. We are not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Veterans Alliance — Veterans Alliance
← All New Jersey benefits
educationstate

$400 a Year for Vietnam-Era Veterans — and Three Ways to Prove Residency

New Jersey pays up to $400 a year toward tuition for a veteran who served on active duty between 31 DECEMBER 1960 AND 7 MAY 1975 and is eligible for federal educational assistance. Half-time study pays $200. It goes to the institution and cannot exceed the tuition charged. The residency test has THREE alternative routes: New Jersey legal residence at induction, OR at discharge, OR for at least one year before applying, not counting active duty time — so someone who has only recently returned to the state can still meet it. Deadlines are 1 October for the fall term and 1 March for spring.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

New Jersey pays up to $400 a year toward tuition for a veteran who served on active duty between 31 DECEMBER 1960 AND 7 MAY 1975 and is eligible for federal educational assistance. Half-time study pays $200. It goes to the institution and cannot exceed the tuition charged. The residency test has THREE alternative routes: New Jersey legal residence at induction, OR at discharge, OR for at least one year before applying, not counting active duty time — so someone who has only recently returned to the state can still meet it. Deadlines are 1 October for the fall term and 1 March for spring.

What it's worth: $400 a year full-time, $200 half-time, paid to the institution

  • Active duty between 31 DECEMBER 1960 AND 7 MAY 1975.
  • You must be eligible for federal veterans educational assistance.
  • $400 a year full-time, $200 half-time. PAID TO THE INSTITUTION and cannot exceed the tuition charged.
  • RESIDENCY HAS THREE ALTERNATIVE ROUTES: New Jersey legal residence at induction, OR at discharge, OR for at least one year before applying (not counting active duty time).
  • DEADLINES: 1 OCTOBER for fall, 1 MARCH for spring.
  • The course must be an approved course of study at an eligible institution.

Who is entitled to it

  • You served in the U.S. armed forces.
  • You served in a recognised wartime period.
  • 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

Deadline: 1 October (fall), 1 March (spring)
  1. 1Diary the deadlines: 1 October for fall, 1 March for spring. They are the most common way this is lost.
  2. 2Check all three residency routes before ruling yourself out. Residence at induction or at discharge counts, however long ago.
  3. 3Confirm you are eligible for federal educational assistance — that is a condition, not an alternative.
  4. 4Apply through the Veterans Benefits Bureau. Payment goes to the school, not to you.
  5. 5If you study half-time, apply anyway — it pays $200.
Form
Application for the Veterans Tuition Credit Program, NJ DMAVA
File with
NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Bureau
Documents you will need
dd214
Each term
Claimed per academic term.
Worth knowingThe window opens on 31 December 1960, which is earlier than the Vietnam dates many programmes use. Check the actual dates rather than the era label.

Sources

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