Military Benefits
Veterans and/or their dependents may be entitled to benefits from a variety of programs to assist with educational expenses.
For more detailed information on the following programs, contact a Veterans Affairs counselor at (888) GIBILL-1 or (888) 442-4551 or visit www.va.gov. For more information on Veterans benefits or information regarding certification, please contact the Registrar.
Additionally, visit our Veteran Resources page for more information on opportunities and supports we offer at St. Thomas.
Available Benefits
Post-9/11 Montgomery GI Bill
Description and Eligibility: Up to 36 months of educational benefits are available to individuals who have at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001 or if you were discharged with a service disability after 30 days.
Application and contact information: Visit www.va.gov/ or call (888) 442-4551.
Montgomery G.I. Bill
Description and Eligibility: Educational benefits are available to individuals who entered active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985.
Application and contact information: Visit Montgomery GI Bill at the US Department of Veterans Affairs or call (888) 442-4551.
Yellow Ribbon Program
Description: Provides additional tuition and fee assistance for veterans, or their dependents, eligible for 100% of Chapter 33 benefits.
Eligibility: Post 9/11 GI Bill recipients who are entitled to the maximum Chapter 33 benefit rate (100%) are eligible to participate in the Yellow Ribbon program at St. Thomas. Recipients of the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship and Purple Heart recipients may also participate in the Yellow Ribbon program. To be eligible for Yellow Ribbon, submit your Certification of Eligibility to the School Certifying Official.
Visit the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website to determine if you are a qualifying veteran or a dependent eligible for Transfer of Entitlement based on a veteran's service.
The university provides an unlimited number of awards to undergraduates. The VA will provide each Chapter 33 benefit recipient attending a private college or university with a tuition and fee benefit of up to a set annual amount. Once the maximum benefit amount of Chapter 33 benefit is reached, the university will cover 50% of the remaining tuition and fees through the Yellow Ribbon Program. The VA will match this amount through the VA Yellow Ribbon Match.
The university's participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program will be re-evaluated annually and the university may elect to change its funding commitment for this program or discontinue participation. Students awarded Yellow Ribbon benefits will continue to receive those benefits throughout their education at St. Thomas provided the university continues to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Here is how the funding works at St. Thomas:
Benefit Period August 1, 2022 - July 31, 2023
- Number of Awards offered: Unlimited
- VA Tuition and Fee Benefit: $26,381.37
- St. Thomas Undergraduate Yellow Ribbon Maximum: 50% of remaining tuition and fees
- VA Yellow Ribbon Match Maximum: 50% of remaining tuition and fees
- Maximum tuition and mandatory fees provided by entitlement and the university: 100%
- Standard tuition and required fees for two semesters at 16 credits each: $50,366
- Yellow Ribbon is available for J-term and summer terms
Other Information: If you are eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program, St. Thomas will fulfill its Yellow Ribbon Program obligations by first allocating unrestricted St. Thomas scholarship amounts awarded to you to the St. Thomas Yellow Ribbon benefit. If your St. Thomas scholarship does not fully cover the St. Thomas Yellow Ribbon benefit amount, St. Thomas will make up the difference by allocating institutional need-based grant aid awarded to you to the Yellow Ribbon benefit amount. If there is still a gap, St. Thomas will award supplemental aid to fulfill this benefit. If your unrestricted institutional aid (St. Thomas scholarship and need-based grant) exceeds the amount of the St. Thomas Yellow Ribbon benefit, the excess aid will be available to cover other costs of attendance. (For more information, see Financial Aid Adjustments Resulting from Military Benefits below.)
Minnesota G.I. Bill
Description and Eligibility: The Minnesota G.I. Bill program provides postsecondary educational assistance to eligible MN veterans who served on or after September 11, 2001. Full-time undergraduate or graduate students may be eligible to receive up to $1,000 per semester and part-time students can receive up to $500 per semester.
Review the complete listing of eligibility requirements and complete the online Minnesota GI Bill Application.
National Guard Benefits
Description and Eligibility: Active members of the Minnesota Army or Air National Guard may be eligible for the Minnesota Tuition and Textbook Reimbursement Grant program and free examination programs such as the College Level Evaluation Program and the DANTES Subject Standardized Tests.
Award Amounts: Varies
Application and Contact Information: For more information, please write to education@mn.ngb.army.mil or call (651) 282-4589.
ROTC Scholarships
Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarships are available for Air Force, Army and Navy/Marine ROTC students.
Amount: Varies
Application:
- High school seniors should apply through the respective websites for the Air Force, Army or Navy (including Marines) during the summer before or the fall of their senior year.
- Current college students should speak to the local ROTC detachment about scholarship opportunities.
Contacts:
Air Force ROTC Detachment 410 - (651) 962-6320 or afrotc@stthomas.edu
Post-9/11 Montgomery GI Bill
Post-9/11 Montgomery GI Bill
Description and Eligibility: Up to 36 months of educational benefits are available to individuals who have at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001 or if you were discharged with a service disability after 30 days.
Application and contact information: Visit www.va.gov/ or call (888) 442-4551.
Montgomery G.I. Bill
Montgomery G.I. Bill
Description and Eligibility: Educational benefits are available to individuals who entered active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985.
Application and contact information: Visit Montgomery GI Bill at the US Department of Veterans Affairs or call (888) 442-4551.
Yellow Ribbon Program
Yellow Ribbon Program
Description: Provides additional tuition and fee assistance for veterans, or their dependents, eligible for 100% of Chapter 33 benefits.
Eligibility: Post 9/11 GI Bill recipients who are entitled to the maximum Chapter 33 benefit rate (100%) are eligible to participate in the Yellow Ribbon program at St. Thomas. Recipients of the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship and Purple Heart recipients may also participate in the Yellow Ribbon program. To be eligible for Yellow Ribbon, submit your Certification of Eligibility to the School Certifying Official.
Visit the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website to determine if you are a qualifying veteran or a dependent eligible for Transfer of Entitlement based on a veteran's service.
The university provides an unlimited number of awards to undergraduates. The VA will provide each Chapter 33 benefit recipient attending a private college or university with a tuition and fee benefit of up to a set annual amount. Once the maximum benefit amount of Chapter 33 benefit is reached, the university will cover 50% of the remaining tuition and fees through the Yellow Ribbon Program. The VA will match this amount through the VA Yellow Ribbon Match.
The university's participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program will be re-evaluated annually and the university may elect to change its funding commitment for this program or discontinue participation. Students awarded Yellow Ribbon benefits will continue to receive those benefits throughout their education at St. Thomas provided the university continues to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Here is how the funding works at St. Thomas:
Benefit Period August 1, 2022 - July 31, 2023
- Number of Awards offered: Unlimited
- VA Tuition and Fee Benefit: $26,381.37
- St. Thomas Undergraduate Yellow Ribbon Maximum: 50% of remaining tuition and fees
- VA Yellow Ribbon Match Maximum: 50% of remaining tuition and fees
- Maximum tuition and mandatory fees provided by entitlement and the university: 100%
- Standard tuition and required fees for two semesters at 16 credits each: $50,366
- Yellow Ribbon is available for J-term and summer terms
Other Information: If you are eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program, St. Thomas will fulfill its Yellow Ribbon Program obligations by first allocating unrestricted St. Thomas scholarship amounts awarded to you to the St. Thomas Yellow Ribbon benefit. If your St. Thomas scholarship does not fully cover the St. Thomas Yellow Ribbon benefit amount, St. Thomas will make up the difference by allocating institutional need-based grant aid awarded to you to the Yellow Ribbon benefit amount. If there is still a gap, St. Thomas will award supplemental aid to fulfill this benefit. If your unrestricted institutional aid (St. Thomas scholarship and need-based grant) exceeds the amount of the St. Thomas Yellow Ribbon benefit, the excess aid will be available to cover other costs of attendance. (For more information, see Financial Aid Adjustments Resulting from Military Benefits below.)
Minnesota G.I. Bill
Minnesota G.I. Bill
Description and Eligibility: The Minnesota G.I. Bill program provides postsecondary educational assistance to eligible MN veterans who served on or after September 11, 2001. Full-time undergraduate or graduate students may be eligible to receive up to $1,000 per semester and part-time students can receive up to $500 per semester.
Review the complete listing of eligibility requirements and complete the online Minnesota GI Bill Application.
National Guard Benefits
National Guard Benefits
Description and Eligibility: Active members of the Minnesota Army or Air National Guard may be eligible for the Minnesota Tuition and Textbook Reimbursement Grant program and free examination programs such as the College Level Evaluation Program and the DANTES Subject Standardized Tests.
Award Amounts: Varies
Application and Contact Information: For more information, please write to education@mn.ngb.army.mil or call (651) 282-4589.
ROTC Scholarships
ROTC Scholarships
Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) scholarships are available for Air Force, Army and Navy/Marine ROTC students.
Amount: Varies
Application:
- High school seniors should apply through the respective websites for the Air Force, Army or Navy (including Marines) during the summer before or the fall of their senior year.
- Current college students should speak to the local ROTC detachment about scholarship opportunities.
Contacts:
Air Force ROTC Detachment 410 - (651) 962-6320 or afrotc@stthomas.edu
Financial Aid Adjustments Resulting from Military Benefits
When finalizing your financial aid package, St. Thomas must make sure your total amount of financial aid does not exceed your cost of attendance due to the institutional and private aid you receive. Excess aid is called an overaward. Overawards are most likely to occur when students receive outside aid that was unknown or unconfirmed to St. Thomas when St. Thomas first developed the financial aid package.
When determining whether there is an overaward of institutional or private aid, St. Thomas must consider all the aid you will receive, including military benefits. When the amount of institutional or private aid results in an overaward, St. Thomas must reduce the financial aid package to eliminate the overaward.
Normally, St. Thomas eliminates overawards by first reducing student self-help aid (loans and work-study) dollar for dollar against the excess institutional or outside aid, until the overaward is eliminated. If additional reductions are required after reducing self-help aid, St. Thomas next reduces institutional aid, starting with need-based aid.
However, for students receiving federal military benefits, St. Thomas is limited in the reductions it can make to certain federal aid in your financial aid package. This means you may be allowed to keep federal loans and federal work study in your financial aid package, but St. Thomas may need to reduce its institutional aid or other private aid to eliminate the overaward. If you have any questions about award adjustments, please contact Financial Aid.