Bring a copy of DD 214 or Veteran ID card to the Westfield State University Veteran Services Office in Bates Hall, Room 15 or call 413-572-8370 for more information.
State Programs & Benefits
Massachusetts Tuition Waivers- Tuition waiver for all Massachusetts veterans to all state colleges and universities M.G.L. ch. 15A, s.19
Veterans of Massachusetts, as defined by M.G.L. ch. 4, s.7, clause 43, can be eligible for a tuition waiver (officially known as "categorical tuition waivers") at any state-supported course in an undergraduate degree program offered by a public college or university. To be eligible, a veteran must also be a legal resident of Massachusetts and he/she must not be in default of any federal student loans.
Veterans will be eligible on a space-available basis for a waiver of full or partial tuition based on proper documentation of the eligibility of the veteran. Space availability shall be determined in accordance with normal practices and procedures as published by each institution, i.e., the individual college or university.
As to tuition waivers for graduate school, it depends on the institution. According to Massachusetts General Laws chapter15A s.19:
"Tuition waivers for graduate students shall be administered by each institution of public higher education. Said institutions shall annually and on a date specified by the council [of higher education] submit a written report to the board [of higher education] detailing graduate waiver policies and distributions of said waivers."
Note: Tuition waivers generally apply to programs leading to a degree or certificate. Schools may exclude non-credit courses from any or all waivers and they may exclude night courses or certificate programs, which do not have state funding.
To Receive This Benefit:
Tuition and Fee Waivers for Massachusetts Guard Members Tuition and fee waiver for members of the Massachusetts National Guard at all state colleges and universities
The Massachusetts National Guard Education Assistance Program provides a 100% tuition and fee waiver for Massachusetts National Guard soldiers attending a state college, university, or community college program. Your assistance can continue as long as you are in good standing academically and until you have reached 130 semester hours (Undergraduate; 45 semester hours for Graduate). The fee waiver program is a benefit of the Welcome Home Bill (HB 4469) signed on November 11, 2005.
Receiving These Benefits:
The tuition and fee waiver is generated through Massachusetts National Guard Bureau. Go to this website for more information and to request your waiver:
https://www.massnationalguard.org/index.php/resources/education.html
Once you receive the waiver, submit a copy to the Veteran and Military Services School Certifying Official.
Grants Massachusetts Public Service Grant Program M.G.L. ch. 15A, s.16
The Massachusetts Public Service Grant Program was established in recognition of the hardship that a family experiences upon the loss of a parent and or spouse who is killed or missing in the line of public service duty in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This grant program was established to provide educational opportunity to the remaining family members. The Public Service Grant Program is the only scholarship program not based on demonstrated financial need, but rather entitlement.
Scholarships will be awarded to:
- Children of prisoners of war or military or service persons missing in action in Southeast Asia whose service was between February 1, 1955 and the termination of the Vietnam campaign;
- Children of veterans whose service was credited to the Commonwealth and who were killed in action or otherwise died as a result of such service; and
- Children and widows of Massachusetts firefighters, police officers and corrections officers killed or who died from injuries sustained while performing duties, as well as training.
Scholarships will be for undergraduate studies at an institution of higher education in the Commonwealth. For a student attending a Massachusetts public college or university, the award shall be equal to the cost of the institution’s full time annual tuition charges. For a student attending a Massachusetts Independent College or University, the award shall be equal to the full-time annual tuition charge at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst not to exceed $2,500 per academic year.
Receiving These Benefits:
Students must apply directly to:
Massachusetts Board of Higher Education
Office of Student Financial Assistance
454 Broadway Street, Suite 200
Revere, MA 02151
617-727-9420
Fax: 617-727-0067
www.mass.edu/forstudents/financialaid/financialaid.asp
Have questions? We're here for you.
Fall/Spring Hours:
Mon, Tues, Wed, Thu, Fri: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Winter/Summer Hours:
Mon, Tues, Wed, Thu, Fri: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Contact Us
Rob Vigneault
Assistant Director
Bates Hall Room 16
Contact Us
Justin Marques
School Certifying Official
Bates Hall, Room 15