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Free Public College Tuition From a 10% Rating

A permanent resident veteran with a service-connected disability of 10% or more attends the state's public colleges and universities tuition-free — CCRI, Rhode Island College and URI — provided financial aid is applied for and used first.

Verified August 21, 2026

What this benefit is

A permanent resident veteran with a service-connected disability of 10% or more attends the state's public colleges and universities tuition-free — CCRI, Rhode Island College and URI — provided financial aid is applied for and used first.

What it's worth: Tuition waived at the public colleges and universities — worth thousands a year

  • The waiver covers tuition after financial aid is applied; fees, books and housing follow the ordinary rules.

Who is entitled to it

  • Your service-connected disability is 10% or higher.
  • You are a permanent resident of this state.

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 for and use financial aid FIRST — the statute conditions the waiver on it, and skipping the FAFSA forfeits the benefit.
  2. 2Certify the service-connected disability — 10% is enough; the gate is any compensable rating, not the 100% most states demand for free tuition.
  3. 3The waiver runs at the three public institutions, each with its own veterans resource office to route the paperwork.
Form
Waiver claim through the institution with VA certification
File with
The veterans resource office at the public institution you attend
Documents you will need
va benefit summary letter
Annual
Claimed once a year.
CorrectionFree-tuition benefits are almost universally summarized as "for 100% disabled veterans." This one opens at 10% — the lowest education gate verified in any state — and the binding condition is procedural instead: financial aid must be applied for and used first.

Sources

Why only one source type: The state veterans office's own programme page states the 10-100% band, the residency test and the financial-aid-first condition; the statute server refuses connections.

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