by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to Columbus State for free thanks to the G.I. Bill®? Coverage is not unlimited and varies school to school, so the fine print is worth checking.
Below is the gap between the Post-9/11 tuition benefit and the cost at Columbus State. Housing and book benefits are covered separately below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $5,338 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $5,338 |
| 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 Columbus State.
Federal data does not indicate that Columbus State currently participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. 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 Columbus State falls under that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $0 |  |
| Out-of-state | $0 | |
Beyond tuition, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® pays a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) while you are enrolled. Below, the academic-year housing benefit is set against the estimated living costs at Columbus State.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $8,640 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $1,908/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $15,264 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $6,624 |
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.
Eligible veterans receive up to $1,000 a year for books and supplies; Columbus State estimates these costs at about $1,800, leaving about $800 out of pocket.
Beyond the coverage math above, this is how much veteran education-benefit money actually flows to Columbus State.
Approximately 309 students drew Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefits totaling $811,183.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 189 | $633,196 | $3,350 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 189 | $633,196 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 121 | $348,955 | $2,884 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 121 | $348,955 | — |
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.