Idaho Operation Education Scholarship at the University of Idaho

Operation Education at the University of Idaho is an individualized scholarship for veterans who sustained a permanent disability while serving since September 11, 2001, and in some cases their dependents, covering tuition, books and fees, campus housing, transportation, medical help, childcare, adaptive equipment, mentoring and tutoring; contact 208-885-6229.

Also called: Operation Education, University of Idaho, scholarship, post-9/11, permanent disability, childcare, mentoring, spouse.

For: Veteran or service member, spouse.

Where it applies

Written for the jurisdictions listed here.

IdahoState

The University of Idaho: "Operation Education® is the nation's leading scholarship and assistance program for military veterans with disabilities. It is available to military personnel who sustained permanent disability while serving our nation since Sept. 11, 2001. Dependents of qualifying veterans may also be eligible for the scholarship." It "can assist with tuition, books and fees, on-campus housing, transportation, medical assistance, childcare, adaptive equipment, mentoring and tutoring", with academic and career planning, networking, internships and job placement. What distinguishes it from every other education benefit in this catalog is that it is not a tuition program. It is an individualized support package. Alongside tuition and books it can cover housing, transportation, childcare, and mentoring, and the mix is built around what a particular student needs. That design addresses the actual reason a disabled veteran with a family fails to finish a degree, which is rarely the tuition. It is the childcare during a class, the transportation when driving is difficult, and the absence of anyone on campus who understands the situation. A program that funds those directly is doing something a tuition waiver cannot. Eligibility is a permanent disability sustained in service since September 11, 2001. Dependents of a qualifying veteran may also receive support (the university's page says dependents; older summaries say spouses), which recognizes that a catastrophic injury reshapes a family's education and career as much as the veteran's. Contact Jason Nierman, [email protected], 208-885-6229, or [email protected]. Because it is a university program rather than a statewide entitlement, it is limited to the University of Idaho in Moscow and the number of recipients is finite. A veteran considering it should contact the program directly and early, rather than treating it as something to claim at enrollment. This should be combined with rather than substituted for federal benefits. Veteran Readiness and Employment under Chapter 31 is the federal program aimed at the same population and can pay for training and supportive services, and the Post-9/11 GI Bill carries a housing allowance. Operation Education is best used to fill what those leave uncovered.

Thresholds

Thresholds for Idaho Operation Education Scholarship at the University of Idaho
Gate	Rule
A permanent service-connected disability from post-9/11 service	The program is for veterans who sustained a permanent disability in service since September 11, 2001, and in some cases their dependents. The test is a permanent disability rather than a specific combined rating percentage.

Sources

Updated

Last updated 2026-10-24.

What changed then:

Eligibility rule “A permanent service-connected disability from post-9/11 service” now reads: “The program is for veterans who sustained a permanent disability in service since September 11, 2001, and in some cases their dependents. The test is a permanent disability rather than a specific combined rating percentage.”
Summary reworded.
New official source added: “University of Idaho, Operation Education (read 2026-10-23; the older /current-students/veterans/ address no longer opens)”.
And 4 more changes.

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Disclaimer

VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.