by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to Auburn for free thanks to the G.I. Bill®? The answer depends on the school — benefits are capped and the details vary, so it pays to do your research.
Here is how the Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefit stacks up against the published cost of attending Auburn. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $12,536 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $12,536 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $0 |
Because tuition is at or below the annual Post-9/11 benefit, the GI Bill® covers it in full at Auburn.
Auburn University is a Yellow Ribbon school: the institution and the VA jointly fund tuition that exceeds the GI Bill® cap. Roughly 2 students used Yellow Ribbon benefits here in the latest reporting year.
Available Yellow Ribbon seats and maximum contributions differ by program and degree level — check with the veteran services office for current limits.
Active-duty service members using DoD Tuition Assistance are capped at $250 per credit hour. The chart below shows whether the per-credit charge at Auburn falls under that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $1,874 |  |
| Out-of-state | $1,874 | |
Beyond tuition, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® pays a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) while you are enrolled. The table compares the housing benefit to estimated living expenses at Auburn.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $14,736 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $1,725/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $13,800 |
| Estimated shortfall to cover yourself | $936 |
Living costs here run above the housing allowance, so plan to cover the difference from savings or other income. MHA amounts reflect the local housing rate for the school’s area.
Eligible veterans receive up to $1,000 a year for books and supplies; Auburn estimates these costs at about $1,200, leaving about $200 out of pocket.
Beyond the coverage math above, this is how much veteran education-benefit money actually flows to Auburn.
In the latest reporting year, about 1,091 students drew Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefits totaling $11,546,354.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 907 | $11,363,414 | $12,529 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 766 | $9,432,701 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 141 | $1,930,713 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 44 | $136,810 | $3,109 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 26 | $93,750 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 18 | $43,060 | — |
These are federal education benefits — the Post-9/11 GI Bill® for veterans and DoD Tuition Assistance for active-duty members.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at benefits.va.gov/gibill.