by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to Ithaca for free thanks to the G.I. Bill®? Coverage is not unlimited and varies school to school, so the fine print is worth checking.
The table below compares the guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit to the cost of attending Ithaca. Housing and book benefits are covered separately below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $50,510 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $20,235 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $30,275 |
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 Ithaca.
Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, Ithaca College and the VA share the cost of tuition above the Post-9/11 cap. About 31 Yellow Ribbon recipients were reported at this school.
Seat counts and matching amounts change by program each year; verify the details with the schools military and veteran services team.
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 Ithaca 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. Here is how that benefit compares to the estimated cost of living at Ithaca.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $16,030 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $2,346/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $18,768 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $2,738 |
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 $850 in supply costs at Ithaca, so the stipend covers them in full.
This is the real volume of GI Bill® and military tuition benefits paid out at Ithaca.
Roughly 53 veterans received Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition payments of $1,275,844.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 43 | $1,432,408 | $33,312 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 42 | $1,406,824 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 1 | $25,584 | — |
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.