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Up to $2,000 a Semester at a Private School — and the School Has to Match It

Wisconsin pays a veterans grant at PRIVATE NONPROFIT institutions worth the LESSER OF $2,000 PER SEMESTER OR 50% OF TUITION MINUS applicable federal education benefits — AND THE PRIVATE INSTITUTION MUST MATCH THE GRANT. That matching requirement roughly doubles the effect and is unusual. The combined cap with the Wisconsin GI Bill is UP TO 128 CREDITS OR 8 SEMESTERS. Eligibility routes include 90 or more days wartime, two consecutive peacetime years, or discharge for a service-connected disability, hardship or reduction in force.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

Wisconsin pays a veterans grant at PRIVATE NONPROFIT institutions worth the LESSER OF $2,000 PER SEMESTER OR 50% OF TUITION MINUS applicable federal education benefits — AND THE PRIVATE INSTITUTION MUST MATCH THE GRANT. That matching requirement roughly doubles the effect and is unusual. The combined cap with the Wisconsin GI Bill is UP TO 128 CREDITS OR 8 SEMESTERS. Eligibility routes include 90 or more days wartime, two consecutive peacetime years, or discharge for a service-connected disability, hardship or reduction in force.

What it's worth: The lesser of $2,000 a semester or 50% of tuition — matched by the school

  • The LESSER OF $2,000 PER SEMESTER OR 50% OF TUITION, minus applicable federal education benefits.
  • THE PRIVATE INSTITUTION MUST MATCH THE GRANT. That roughly doubles the effect and is unusual.
  • UP TO 128 CREDITS OR 8 SEMESTERS combined with the Wisconsin GI Bill.
  • Qualifying service routes: 90 OR MORE DAYS WARTIME; TWO CONSECUTIVE PEACETIME YEARS; or discharge for a SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY, HARDSHIP OR REDUCTION IN FORCE; or EO 10957 service.
  • Wisconsin residency and an honorable discharge are required.
  • WDVA certifies eligibility on Form 2059 or 2060; HEAB administers the grant.
  • Because federal benefits are subtracted first, the grant is last-dollar against those.

Who is entitled to it

  • You served in the U.S. armed forces.
  • Your discharge was honorable.
  • You are enrolled or applying.
  • Wisconsin private nonprofit 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. 1Get WDVA to certify eligibility on Form 2059 or 2060 — that is the first step, before HEAB.
  2. 2Ask the private institution to confirm its match. The match is a requirement, so the school should know about it.
  3. 3Work out your federal benefits first; they are subtracted before the grant is calculated.
  4. 4Track your credits against the 128-credit and 8-semester combined cap with the Wisconsin GI Bill.
  5. 5Check which service route you meet — the peacetime and hardship routes are easy to overlook.
Form
WDVA Form 2059 or 2060, with HEAB
File with
Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board, with WDVA certification
Documents you will need
dd214
Each term
Claimed per academic term.
Worth knowingThe institutional match is the part to raise with the school's financial aid office. It is a condition of the programme, not a favour, and a school unfamiliar with it may need pointing at the rule.

Sources

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