Connecticut GI Bill Tuition and Residency Requirements

Connecticut GI Bill Tuition Rates

Recent changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill have changed tuition benefits. Students attending a public school in Connecticut are only eligible to receive the in-state tuition rate.

Connecticut Residency Requirements and Military Personnel

Under the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act, members of the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force and Marine Corps with 30 days or more of full-time, active-duty service are eligible for in-state tuition if they are stationed in Connecticut. Once you're considered an in-state resident, you are able to keep this status and stay enrolled, even if you are reassigned out of state. These same benefits are extended to military spouses and dependents.

For those who do not qualify for military exemption, state law decrees that a student has to live in Connecticut for one year to qualify for in-state rates. Students depending on their parents for financial support are automatically considered residents of the state where their parents live.

When applying for residency, you may need to provide documents such as voter and automobile registration, federal and state tax returns, and a driver's license. Spouses of Connecticut residents are also eligible for in-state student rates, even if they don't meet all the requirements for state residency.

If you are a Connecticut resident and you serve in the military, you don't lose your in-state residency status by being stationed in another state or country.

Other Connecticut Military Education Benefits

Active-duty Connecticut Army and Air National Guard members are entitled to a tuition waiver for both undergraduate and graduate programs at Connecticut public colleges and universities. These waivers do not cover books or fees. To qualify, National Guard members must be in good standing with the Guard and already accepted for admission.

These tuition waivers are also available for the following people, all of whom must be Connecticut residents:

• Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, including the National Guard, with 90 or more cumulative days of active duty service during a period of war
• Surviving spouses and dependent children of Connecticut veterans who have been killed in action on or after September 11, 2001
• Dependent children of service members declared prisoners of war or missing in action since 1960

The tuition waiver covers degree program or for-credit courses and generally does not apply to non-credit Extension Fund courses. However, at Connecticut State University, veterans can receive a 50 percent tuition waiver for Extension Fund courses.

How to Apply for Connecticut Tuition Benefits

Active-duty military personnel who want to take advantage of in-state tuition need only to apply to the Connecticut school of their choice and provide documentation if the admission officer requests it.

Veterans and other military personnel who qualify for tuition waivers need to be accepted for admission at a public university or college in Connecticut and then contact that school's financial aid or veterans affairs office to get their benefits.

GIBill.com has done its best to ensure that the above information is accurate. However, GIBill.com cannot guarantee its accuracy and encourages you to check with your school for its residency requirements to qualify for in-state tuition.