by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to Folsom Lake for free thanks to the G.I. Bill®? 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 Folsom Lake. Housing and book benefits are covered separately below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $1,288 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $1,288 |
| 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 Folsom Lake.
There is no record that Folsom Lake participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program in the latest federal data. Check directly with the school, since participation can change year to year.
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 Folsom Lake falls under that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $40 |  |
| Out-of-state | $40 | |
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 Folsom Lake.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $21,474 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $2,997/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $23,976 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $2,502 |
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 $1,152 in supply costs at Folsom Lake, leaving about $152 out of pocket.
Beyond the coverage math above, this is how much veteran education-benefit money actually flows to Folsom Lake.
In the latest reporting year, about 132 Post-9/11 recipients used tuition benefits worth $47,174.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 0 | $0 | — |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 0 | $0 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 0 | $0 | — |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 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.