by our College Data Analytics TeamWondering what the G.I. Bill® actually covers at EIU? GI Bill® benefits are limited and differ by school, so the specifics matter.
Below is the gap between the Post-9/11 tuition benefit and the cost at EIU. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $13,403 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $13,403 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $0 |
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefit is enough to cover the full tuition and fees at EIU.
There is no record that EIU participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program in the latest federal data. 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 EIU falls under that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $234 |  |
| Out-of-state | $234 | |
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 EIU.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $10,602 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $1,446/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $11,568 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $966 |
At this school the academic-year housing benefit exceeds typical living costs, so most full-time students come out ahead. Your actual MHA depends on your rate of pursuit and the school’s location.
Eligible veterans receive up to $1,000 a year for books and supplies; EIU estimates these costs at about $150, so the stipend covers them in full.
These figures show the GI Bill® and DoD Tuition Assistance dollars veterans and service members actually used at EIU.
Approximately 58 students drew Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefits totaling $415,490.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 58 | $382,143 | $6,589 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 52 | $353,741 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 6 | $28,402 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 3 | $9,750 | $3,250 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 3 | $9,750 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 0 | $0 | — |
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.