by our College Data Analytics TeamHow much of the cost at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo will the G.I. Bill® cover? GI Bill® benefits are limited and differ by school, so the specifics matter.
The table below compares the guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit to the cost of attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $11,075 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $11,075 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $0 |
For public schools, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® covers the full in-state tuition and fees, so eligible veterans typically owe nothing toward tuition at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is not listed as a Yellow Ribbon participant in current federal reporting. Contact the veteran services office to confirm whether any programs offer Yellow Ribbon matching.
DoD Tuition Assistance pays up to $250 per credit hour for active-duty students; here is how the per-credit charge at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo compares.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $4,926 |  |
| Out-of-state | $13,395 | |
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 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $18,042 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $3,180/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $25,440 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $7,398 |
At this school the academic-year housing benefit exceeds typical living costs, so most full-time students come out ahead. The MHA is based on the school’s ZIP code and is paid at the full-time rate for resident students.
With a Post-9/11 book stipend of up to $1,000 per year, the estimated $1,089 in supply costs at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, leaving about $89 out of pocket.
Beyond the coverage math above, this is how much veteran education-benefit money actually flows to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Approximately 153 veterans received Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition payments of $940,112.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 144 | $927,421 | $6,440 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 136 | $868,219 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 8 | $59,202 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 3 | $6,499 | $2,166 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 3 | $6,499 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 0 | $0 | — |
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.