by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to Chico State 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 Chico State. Housing and book benefits are covered separately below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $8,064 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $8,064 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $0 |
At public institutions the Post-9/11 GI Bill® pays in-state tuition and fees in full, meaning most eligible veterans pay no tuition at Chico State.
Chico State is not listed as a Yellow Ribbon participant in current federal reporting. If you need benefits beyond the Post-9/11 cap, ask the schools veteran services office whether any programs participate.
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 Chico State falls under that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $2,388 |  |
| Out-of-state | $2,388 | |
On top of tuition, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® provides a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for the months you are in school. Here is how that benefit compares to the estimated cost of living at Chico State.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $11,280 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $3,111/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $24,888 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $13,608 |
The benefit generally more than covers off-campus living costs here. The MHA is based on the school’s ZIP code and is paid at the full-time rate for resident students.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® pays a books-and-supplies stipend of up to $1,000 per year. Estimated book and supply costs at Chico State run about $1,052, leaving about $52 out of pocket.
These figures show the GI Bill® and DoD Tuition Assistance dollars veterans and service members actually used at Chico State.
Approximately 180 veterans received Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition payments of $944,462.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 162 | $882,977 | $5,450 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 141 | $752,374 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 21 | $130,603 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 2 | $6,000 | $3,000 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 1 | $1,500 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 1 | $4,500 | — |
GI Bill® dollars are paid on the veterans behalf, while DoD Tuition Assistance supports active-duty service 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.