The caring faculty and staff at Southwest Tech are here to help you in every step of your admission journey by developing a student success plan. Student success plans include career assessments, budgeting for life during college, and a support and services plan. College means paying tuition and fees, as well as budgeting for housing, food, and books. Learn how to create a college student budget today to pay for life by setting up an appointment with our team today by emailing financial-aid@swtc.edu.

Interested in learning more about our budget or want to get started now? Take a look at the Fillable Monthly College Budget!

Southwest Tech is approved by the Wisconsin State Approving Agency for training of qualified veterans under the Veterans Educational Benefits Act (GI Bill®), and for the training of eligible dependents of deceased or disabled veterans. More information can be obtained from the School Certifying Official, located in the Financial Aid Office, or from the local County Veterans Service Officer.

Please note that Southwest Tech does not and cannot determine eligibility for veterans benefits; the VA determines all eligibility. Veterans benefits DO NOT exclude you from receiving financial aid or scholarships.

For more information, please contact Stephanie in the Financial Aid Office at 608.822.2321, or by email. You can also contact the Grant County Veterans Service Officer at 608.723.2756.

FEDERAL PROGRAMS

A variety of federal programs are available if you have participated in the Montgomery GI Bill® program while serving in the military. You may also be eligible for Reserve benefits if you are currently an active member of the Reserves or National Guard. Dependents of disabled or deceased veterans may be eligible for benefits also.

  • Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33): The Post-9/11 GI Bill® is for individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. The Post-9/11 GI Bill® will become effective for training on or after August 1, 2009.
  • Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapter 30): Generally this applies to active duty enlistees who entered service after June 30, 1985, who contributed $100 for the first 12 months of service.
  • Service-Connected Disabled Veterans (Chapter 31): Benefits for service members and veterans with a 20 percent, or greater, service-connected disability.
  • Survivors and Dependents (Chapter 35): For spouses and children of 100 percent service-connected disabled or deceased Veterans.
  • Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606): For members who enlist or re-enlist in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard Reserves, the Army National Guard, or the Air Guard.

Please visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for detailed information regarding the Federal GI Bill® Education Benefits. You can also see your local County Veterans Service Officer, or stop in the Veterans Service Office located in the Financial Aid Office.

STATE PROGRAMS

State programs in the form of tuition and fee reimbursement and part-time study grants may be available for Wisconsin veterans. National Guard members may be eligible for the National Guard Tuition Grant.

  • Wisconsin GI Bill®: The Wisconsin GI Bill® provides a full waiver (“remission”) of tuition and fees for eligible veterans and their dependents for up to 8 full-time semesters or 128 credits at any University of Wisconsin System or Wisconsin Technical College System institution for continuing education, or for study at the undergraduate or graduate level.
  • Veterans Education (VetEd) Reimbursement Grant: Veterans who did not enlist from the state of WI may apply for VetEd through their County Veterans Service Officer, or by downloading and completing a WDVA 2200 Form . Applications must be submitted within 60 days of the start of the term. As this is a reimbursement grant, students must pay tuition in full by the due date.
    If you are unable to access documents here, please contact Financial Aid (veterans@swtc.edu, 608.822.2660)
  • Wisconsin National Guard Tuition Grant: The Wisconsin National Guard Tuition Grant is a reimbursement grant, which means students must pay their tuition in full by the due date. For additional information on this grant, please visit the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs. The grant form must be submitted to Southwest Tech Veteran Services at the start of each term or within 60 days of the end of the term.

For more information on any of these benefits, visit the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, see your local County Veterans Service Officer, or stop in the Veterans Service Office located in the Financial Aid Office.

In-State Tuition Rates for Active Duty Service Members and Family Members

In accordance with Federal Student Aid Regulations, Southwest Tech does not charge a member of the armed forces who is on active duty for a period of more than 30 days more than the tuition rate for residents of the state. Similarly, the service member’s spouse and dependent children are entitled to the instate tuition rate.

In addition, if the service member, spouse, or dependent child pays the in-state tuition rate, Southwest Tech allows the student to continue to pay such a rate as long as they are continuously enrolled, even if there is a subsequent change in the permanent duty station of the service member to a location outside of the state.