Veterans Education Benefits
Visit our key financial, graduation and transfer Information page for Veterans.
Approved Programs to Receive VA Educational Benefits
To review a list of our approved programs, please search the US Department of Veterans Affairs WEAMS website.
Veterans Paying Non-resident Tuition
The Military and Veterans Enactments by the 2006 Minnesota Legislature directs the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State institutions to treat all U.S. military veterans as Minnesota residents for undergraduate tuition rate purposes, irrespective of their state of origin or residency.
It also directs that for graduate school tuition purposes, a veteran must be treated as a resident if the person was a resident upon entering the military and starts the graduate program within two years of completing military service.
Minnesota State Mankato requires a copy of the veteran's DD214 to process the change in rates.
Education Benefits
The first step in receiving education benefits is to apply through the US Department of Veterans Affairs. For assistance with this process, please contact:
David Schrader
Southeast Regional Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs
Room: CSU 192
Phone: 1-507-389-5726
Once you have received a confirmation of your application for benefits, we can begin the process of certifying your enrollment.
Each semester, students must specifically request to be certified for the term. We will contact you by email with the appropriate request form.
Current or former veteran students, their spouses and their legal dependents are eligible for resident tuition rates under the Section 702 Choice Act. For additional information, please see MinnState Board Procedure 2.2.2.
Veterans Resource Center
Minnesota State Mankato is proud to offer a Veterans Resource Center to provide assistance, peer support, and educational events for all students impacted by military service.
Transfer of Credit
Please check your transfer evaluation to determine if your military service experience credit is listed. These credits should also appear on your official transcript.
Military service credit is transferred in as elective credit and is not equivalent to other courses. Check with your department to determine if your credits can meet specific degree requirements.
If you need assistance with your transfer credits, please contact:
Transfer Evaluations Department
Room: WA 132
Phone: 1-507-389-6266
Priority Registration
Minnesota State Mankato allows veteran students to receive priority registration status, which allows early registration. Read the Priority Registration Policy for more information.
If you are receiving VA education benefits, you will receive information regarding priority registration by email. Other veteran students who are not currently receiving education benefits must self-identify to the certifying officials and provide proof of current military membership or veteran status to receive the priority registration benefit.
Once your status has been confirmed, you will receive information regarding priority registration each semester. Priority registration allows a 24-48 hour registration time-frame prior to the start of regular registration.
Veteran Participation in Courses Pending VA Payment
In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679(e), Minnesota State University, Mankato adopts the following provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from VA.
Minnesota State University, Mankato will not:
- Prevent the student’s enrollment;
- Assess a late penalty fee to the student;
- Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;
- Deny the student access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.
Procedures
To qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:
- Produce the VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) by the first day of class;
- Provide a written request to be certified;
- Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment.
Rationale
Section 103 of Public Law (PL) 115-407, veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018,’ amends Title 38 US Code 3679 by adding a new subsection (e) that requires disapproval of courses of education, beginning August 1, 2019, at any educational institution that does not have a policy in place that will allow an individual to attend or participate in a course of education, pending VA payment, providing the individual submits a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under Chapter 31 or 33.
