MDVA Surviving Spouse/Dependent Education Benefit

Award Amount
Application deadline
Awarded By:

Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs

Number of Awards & Eligibility: Approximately 50 to 100 awards offered annually.
In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:
  1. This award is for U.S. students.
  2. Must have been a Minnesota resident for two years or more prior to his/her application for educational benefits, and his/her parent(s) or spouse must have been Minnesota resident(s) at the time of entering the service.
  3. Must attend a Minnesota public or private college or university. Please note: The school must be state-supported in order to receive the free tuition award.
  4. Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
  5. Must be a high school senior or older to apply for this undergraduate award.
  6. Must be a war orphan or spouse.
  7. Must be the child or spouse of a veteran who has died on active duty or as a result of a service-connected condition. NOTE: Spouses cannot have remarried.

In order to qualify, students must meet the following criteria:

Description: This scholarship is available for Minnesota undergraduate students who are the children of a veteran who died on active duty or as a result of a service-connected condition. Students must attend a Minnesota college or university.

Application requirements for the MDVA Surviving Spouse/Dependent Education Benefit are:

  • Application form
  • DD Form 1300
  • Driver's license
  • Proof/eligibility
Additional Information: For war orphans to qualify, they must have a veteran parent who died due to a service-related situation.

Award Amount: Students will receive benefits as follows under this program: free tuition at Minnesota 'institutions of university grade' (MNSCU - Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, and the University of Minnesota) until a bachelor's degree (or equivalent degree) has been obtained; and a maximum payment of $750 in any one fiscal year (July 1-June 30). This amount may be used for fees, books & supplies, and/or room & board. At institutions where the free tuition part of the program does not apply, it may also be used toward tuition.Recipients must reapply each fiscal year.  The total dollars awarded for this scholarship is $4,750.

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Friday, June 30, 2023

Deadline Information:

Deadline for this scholarship is Friday, June 30, 2023

Applications are available online on the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) website. Each first-time applicant must include the following with his/her application: a copy of his/her Minnesota driver's license (or other proof of residency) and deceased veteran's proof of residency if not listed as Minnesota on the DD-214; birth certificate and/or adoption papers (if adopted); a marriage certificate, if a spouse; and a 'Report of Casualty' (DD Form 1300) verifying that the veteran died while on active duty. If the 'Report of Casualty' is not submitted, the student may submit the veteran's DD-214 and a letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs verifying that the veteran's death was due to a service-connected condition instead. One section of the application must be completed by a representative at the student's school. Students must apply for this award during the state of Minnesota's fiscal year, which is from July 1 to June 30. Students must submit an application each fiscal year to continue receiving benefits.
About Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs:
Contact Information: Paula Plum, n/a
Address: 20 W. 12th St. St. Paul, Minnesota 55155

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