HF3741
Educational assistance for veterans' children and spouses modified, and money appropriated.
Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026)
Related bill: SF3957
AI Generated Summary
Purpose
Clarifies and expands educational assistance for the dependents and spouses of certain veterans and sets up a new funding approach. The bill repeals a prior POW/MIA dependent tuition program and replaces it with a combination of tuition-free access to Minnesota public colleges for eligible dependents and a new stipend system for eligible children, spouses, and veterans.
Who is covered (definitions related to eligibility)
- Eligible child: a child of a veteran who is deceased, or a person who was a prisoner of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA), and who is a student meeting progress and residency requirements at a Minnesota higher education institution.
- Eligible spouse: the spouse or surviving spouse of a veteran who is deceased or a POW/MIA, meeting the same progress and residency requirements.
- Eligible veteran: a veteran who is a student in good academic standing at an eligible institution, who resides in Minnesota at enlistment, who has no remaining military/veteran education benefits giving access to other programs, and who remains a resident while receiving these benefits.
- Deceased veteran: a veteran who died as a result of military service, who resided in Minnesota within the relevant windows, as determined by VA or DoD.
- POW/MIA: defined with the same standards historically used by the federal government.
- Eligible institution: a Minnesota public postsecondary institution (state-operated, University of Minnesota Board of Regents, or tribally controlled college) or any institution licensed or registered with the Office of Higher Education.
- Public postsecondary institution: as above; includes tribal colleges.
- Tuition and fees: the charges assessed by an eligible institution.
Main benefits and how they work
Tuition and fees waiver
- Eligible children and eligible spouses may attend Minnesota public postsecondary institutions tuition- and fee-free until they earn a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
- The waiver applies at eligible public institutions; it is not limited to any particular program or field of study.
Annual stipends and veteran payment
- A biennial appropriation funds:
- An annual stipend of $750 per eligible child and per eligible spouse (i.e., each eligible child and each eligible spouse receives $750 each year).
- A one-time payment of $750 for each eligible veteran.
- A note: the stipend amounts under this subdivision are not available to anyone who has earned a bachelor’s degree.
- Payments are made directly to the eligible institutions or to the eligible individuals, as determined by the commissioner, and are awarded on a funds-available basis.
Continuity of eligibility
- Once someone qualifies as an eligible child or eligible spouse, that status remains even if circumstances change, including the return/death of a parent or the death or return of a POW/MIA parent.
Eligibility evidence
- Applicants must submit required materials including an application, proof of military service, residency proof if applicable, and verification from VA/DoD that federal entitlement has been exhausted.
Administration and reporting
Participation by institutions
- Minnesota public postsecondary institutions must participate in the program during both peacetime and war.
- Other eligible institutions may suspend or terminate participation at the end of any term.
Annual reporting
- Eligible institutions must submit an annual report by September 30 detailing program activity, number of students served, enrollment and graduation data, and the program’s overall cost.
- Public or regionally accredited private institutions must provide information and maintain a veterans benefits page on their websites with links to federal and state programs.
Funding cap
- The appropriation for the program cannot exceed a cap (in the bill, a limit of $6,000,000 is specified for relevant payments in certain years).
Repeal of prior program
- The existing statutory provision providing educational assistance to POW/MIA dependents (the prior “POW/MIA dependent” program) is repealed.
Significant changes from existing law
- Replaces the POW/MIA dependent tuition program with a broader structure that provides:
- Tuition and fees waivers at Minnesota public institutions for eligible dependents until a bachelor’s degree.
- A new stipend framework ($750/year for each eligible child and spouse; $750 for each eligible veteran as a one-time payment) funded by a general fund appropriation.
- Adds formal reporting requirements for participating institutions and requires targeted information dissemination to students and families.
- Maintains a guarantee of continued eligibility regardless of certain changes in family circumstances.
- Caps total program funding and repeals the older POW/MIA dependent benefit framework.
Implications and considerations
- For eligible families: more predictable access to tuition-free public higher education for dependents and a new cash stipend structure, with ongoing eligibility protections.
- For institutions: clearer expectations on participation, reporting, and administration, plus a requirement to provide information about veterans benefits on their sites.
- For policy: shifts from a specific POW/MIA-dependent benefit toward a broader dependents program tied to deceased or POW/MIA veterans, with a funding cap to manage costs.
Relevant terms - Eligible child - Eligible spouse - Eligible veteran - Deceased veteran - Prisoner of war (POW) - Missing in action (MIA) - Tribally controlled college - Eligible institution - Public postsecondary educational institution - Tuition and fees - Satisfactory academic progress - Resident student - Tuition waiver - Educational stipend - General fund appropriation - Repeal of POW/MIA dependent program - Annual reporting requirements
Bill text versions
- Introduction PDF PDF file
Past committee meetings
- Veterans and Military Affairs Division on: March 04, 2026 08:15
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 23, 2026 | House | Action | Bill was passed | ||
| March 25, 2026 | Senate | Action | Received from House | ||
| March 25, 2026 | Senate | Action | Introduction and first reading | ||
| March 25, 2026 | Senate | Action | Referred to | Rules and Administration | |
| March 26, 2026 | Senate | Action | Comm report: Subst. for SF on General Orders | ||
| March 26, 2026 | Senate | Action | Second reading |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Deceased veteran",
"Eligible child",
"Eligible institution",
"Eligible spouse",
"Eligible veteran",
"Tribally controlled college",
"Tuition and fees",
"Public postsecondary educational institution",
"Satisfactory academic progress",
"Student"
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Defines and clarifies terms used in the veterans educational assistance program for children, spouses, and veterans, including new or clarified definitions such as Deceased veteran, Eligible child, Eligible spouse, Eligible veteran, and related terms and cross-references.",
"modified": [
"Consolidation and redefinition of key terms to govern the program"
]
},
"citation": "Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement section 197.75 subdivision 1",
"subdivision": "subdivision 1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Stipend of 750 per year for each eligible child and each eligible spouse",
"Single payment of 750 for each eligible veteran",
"Tuition-free admission to any Minnesota public postsecondary institution until the bachelor’s degree is earned",
"Payments made directly to participating institutions or to eligible individuals"
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Applies an educational assistance stipend framework for eligible children, eligible spouses, and eligible veterans and sets eligibility and delivery mechanics.",
"modified": [
"Establishes a program with specified stipend amounts and tuition waivers; clarifies fund availability and payment modality"
]
},
"citation": "Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 197.75 subdivision 2",
"subdivision": "subdivision 2"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Application",
"Proof of military service",
"Proof of residency if applicable",
"Statement from the U.S. VA that federal educational benefits have been exhausted",
"Proof of service-connected disability or proof of death due to service-connected disabilities"
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Sets forth the proof of eligibility requirements for benefits under the program.",
"modified": [
"Formalizes documentary requirements for eligibility verification"
]
},
"citation": "Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 197.75 subdivision 3",
"subdivision": "subdivision 3"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Mandatory ongoing participation by public postsecondary institutions"
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Requires participation by Minnesota public postsecondary institutions in the educational assistance program during peacetime and war.",
"modified": [
"Clarifies participation and termination provisions for eligible institutions"
]
},
"citation": "Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 197.75 subdivision 5",
"subdivision": "subdivision 5"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Annual reporting deadline by September 30",
"Enrollment and graduation data for students receiving benefits",
"Aggregate tuition cost and waiver data",
"Veterans education benefits page and links on institutions’ websites"
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Adds a reporting subdivision to require annual reporting by eligible institutions on program activity, enrollment, graduation data, and tuition-related metrics.",
"modified": [
"Expands reporting and information disclosure requirements to the commissioner and the public"
]
},
"citation": "Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 197.75",
"subdivision": "subdivision 7"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Appropriation from the general fund to the commissioner to pay benefits under subdivisions 5, 5a, 5b, 6, 7, and section 197.75",
"Cap: not to exceed 6,000,000 during any fiscal year beginning on or after July 1, 2012"
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Provides the appropriation framework for funding the benefits described in prior subdivisions and sets a cap on expenditures.",
"modified": [
"Defines funding limits and appropriation authority for the program"
]
},
"citation": "Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 197.791 subdivision 8",
"subdivision": "subdivision 8"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [
"Section 197.752 (educational assistance to POW/MIA dependents) is repealed"
],
"summary": "Repeals existing statute related to educational assistance to POW/MIA dependents.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 197.752",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cross-reference to residency definitions used for determining eligibility under the program.",
"modified": [
"No modification to 136A.101; used for residency determination in linked definitions"
]
},
"citation": "Minnesota Statutes 136A.101 subdivision 8",
"subdivision": "subdivision 8"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cross-reference to the meaning of 'satisfactory academic progress' as part of eligibility.",
"modified": [
"No modification to 136A.101; used to interpret progress requirements in the program"
]
},
"citation": "Minnesota Statutes 136A.101 subdivision 10",
"subdivision": "subdivision 10"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cross-reference to the meaning of 'Student' for eligibility purposes.",
"modified": [
"No modification to 136A.101; used as a cross-reference for student status"
]
},
"citation": "Minnesota Statutes 136A.101 subdivision 7",
"subdivision": "subdivision 7"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cross-reference defining what constitutes a Tribally Controlled College for purposes of eligibility.",
"modified": [
"No modification to 136A.1796; used to interpret ‘tribally controlled college’ within the program"
]
},
"citation": "Minnesota Statutes 136A.1796 subdivision 1 paragraph d",
"subdivision": "subdivision 1 paragraph d"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Defines the meaning of 'Veteran' referenced in the program.",
"modified": [
"No modification to 197.447; used as the cross-reference for veteran status in eligibility"
]
},
"citation": "Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 197.447",
"subdivision": ""
}
]Progress through the legislative process
In Committee