Ohio GI Promise: The Scholarship Most Ohio Veterans Don’t Know About

If you served, you qualify for in-state tuition at any public college or university in Ohio. It does not matter if you live in Oregon, Florida, or Kentucky. This is the Ohio GI Promise, signed into law in 2009, and it is one of the most underused veteran benefits in the state.

Who qualifies

You qualify if you are:

• A veteran with at least one day of active-duty service
• A current active-duty service member stationed in Ohio
• A spouse or dependent child of a qualifying veteran

Your DD-214 is all the paperwork you need.

What it saves you

Out-of-state tuition at Ohio State runs roughly $35,000 per year. In-state tuition is closer to $12,000. Over a four-year degree, the Ohio GI Promise can save a family upwards of $90,000 — and that is before you layer in the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which may cover the in-state rate entirely.

How to apply

Apply to the Ohio public college of your choice as an in-state applicant and attach your DD-214 (or your sponsor’s) to your residency documentation. If the school pushes back, contact the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s veteran liaison. They will sort it out.