by our College Data Analytics TeamHow much of the cost at Lakeland 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 Lakeland. Housing and book benefits are covered separately below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $32,286 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $20,235 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $12,051 |
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 Lakeland.
Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, Lakeland University and the VA share the cost of tuition above the Post-9/11 cap.
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 Lakeland falls under that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $373 |  |
| Out-of-state | $373 | |
Beyond tuition, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® pays a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) while you are enrolled. Below, the academic-year housing benefit is set against the estimated living costs at Lakeland.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $8,838 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $1,617/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $12,936 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $4,098 |
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 $1,100 in supply costs at Lakeland, leaving about $100 out of pocket.
This is the real volume of GI Bill® and military tuition benefits paid out at Lakeland.
In the latest reporting year, about 22 veterans received Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition payments of $157,259.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 21 | $139,617 | $6,648 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 13 | $98,542 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 8 | $41,075 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 1 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 0 | $0 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 1 | $3,000 | — |
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.