by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to Illinois Tech 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 Illinois Tech. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $51,763 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $20,235 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $31,528 |
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® limits the annual tuition benefit to roughly $20,235, so tuition beyond that is out of pocket (or covered by Yellow Ribbon) at Illinois Tech.
Illinois Institute of Technology participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which can cover tuition and fees beyond the Post-9/11 GI Bill® cap through matching funds from the school and the VA.
The exact number of seats and the maximum contribution vary by degree level and program, so confirm the current limits with the schools veteran services office.
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 Illinois Tech falls under that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $708 |  |
| Out-of-state | $708 | |
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® also covers housing through a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA). The table compares the housing benefit to estimated living expenses at Illinois Tech.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $15,300 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $3,225/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $25,800 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $10,500 |
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 Illinois Tech run about $1,200, leaving about $200 out of pocket.
Beyond the coverage math above, this is how much veteran education-benefit money actually flows to Illinois Tech.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 25 | $395,578 | $15,823 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 12 | $218,936 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 13 | $176,642 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 0 | $0 | — |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 0 | $0 | — |
| 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.