by our College Data Analytics TeamHow much of the cost at Lake Forest will the G.I. Bill® cover? 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 Lake Forest. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $54,202 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $20,235 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $33,967 |
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® caps the annual tuition benefit (about $20,235), so the tuition above that is a gap veterans must cover through Yellow Ribbon, savings, or other aid at Lake Forest.
Lake Forest College 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. In the most recent year, about 7 students received Yellow Ribbon awards at this school.
Available Yellow Ribbon seats and maximum contributions differ by program and degree level — check with the veteran services office for current limits.
For active-duty students, Tuition Assistance covers up to $250 per credit hour — the indicators below show whether Lake Forest is below that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $902 |  |
| Out-of-state | $902 | |
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 Lake Forest.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $12,480 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $2,397/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $19,176 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $6,696 |
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.
With a Post-9/11 book stipend of up to $1,000 per year, the estimated $1,350 in supply costs at Lake Forest, leaving about $350 out of pocket.
This is the real volume of GI Bill® and military tuition benefits paid out at Lake Forest.
In the latest reporting year, about 12 veterans received Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition payments of $298,091.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 11 | $286,910 | $26,083 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 11 | $286,910 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 0 | $0 | — |
GI Bill® benefits follow the veteran; DoD Tuition Assistance is an active-duty benefit paid while serving.
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.