Rhode Island National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program (STAP)
Offered by Rhode Island Office of Veterans Services / RI National Guard · Free to apply
A tuition waiver for serving Rhode Island National Guard members at the state's public colleges and universities, covering up to five tuition-free classes per fall or spring semester at CCRI, RIC and URI. It is a waiver rather than a grant, which matters practically: fees and books remain the service member's responsibility, but the waiver can be stacked with the GI Bill, so the two together can cover most of a degree. It reaches further up the ladder than most state programmes, applying to associate, bachelor's and master's study alike. The binding condition is service time rather than money: members need one year of remaining military commitment at the end of the class for every 12 credits taken.
How hard is the Rhode Island National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program (STAP) to win?
A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first.
- Estimated odds
- roughly 1 in 1,008 applicants
- Modelled applicant field
- ~1,000 students
- Payoff per hour of work
- $6 / hr
What drives the odds here
Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.
- Fewer rivalsOpen only to Rhode Island residents
- Fewer rivalsRequires a military or national-service connection
How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.
Who can apply for the Rhode Island National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program (STAP)?
These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.
- Must be a resident of Rhode Island
- Open to current college students, transfer students, and adult learners
- For active-duty military or veteran families
- Must be a serving Army or Air National Guard member, enlisted or officer
- Must be pursuing an associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree at CCRI, RIC or URI
- Must be in good standing and not flagged for adverse action
- Must have one year of remaining military commitment at the end of the class for every 12 credits taken, and your ETS must fall after the class end date
- Fees and books are not covered and must be paid by the service member
- The waiver can be used in conjunction with the GI Bill
What the application takes
No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.
Deadline and application cycle
The current deadline is June 30, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around June 30 each year. Run the service-commitment arithmetic before registering: you need a year of remaining commitment per 12 credits, and your ETS must land after the class ends, so a late-career member can be ineligible for a full load.
- Apply through the Guard Education Office each semester
- June 30, 2027
Does your student actually qualify?
See if your student qualifies in 30 seconds. Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.
Common questions about the Rhode Island National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program (STAP)
How much is the Rhode Island National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program (STAP) worth?
The Rhode Island National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program (STAP) awards tuition waiver, up to five classes per fall or spring semester at CCRI, RIC and URI and is renewable in later years.
When is the Rhode Island National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program (STAP) deadline?
The current deadline is June 30, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around June 30 each year. Run the service-commitment arithmetic before registering: you need a year of remaining commitment per 12 credits, and your ETS must land after the class ends, so a late-career member can be ineligible for a full load.
Who is eligible for the Rhode Island National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program (STAP)?
Key requirements: Must be a resident of Rhode Island; Open to current college students, transfer students, and adult learners; For active-duty military or veteran families.
Does the Rhode Island National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program (STAP) require an essay?
No essay is required. The application is light on requirements. Expect to spend about 2 hours on it.
How hard is it to win the Rhode Island National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program (STAP)?
Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 1,008 applicants, against a modelled field of ~1,000 students. The pool stays that size because open only to Rhode Island residents and requires a military or national-service connection. At 2 hrs of work, that is about $6 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.
Is the Rhode Island National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program (STAP) free to apply?
Yes. The Rhode Island National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program (STAP) is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.
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Lists this award appears on
Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.