by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to Macalester 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.
Below is the gap between the Post-9/11 tuition benefit and the cost at Macalester. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $64,908 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $20,235 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $44,673 |
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 Macalester.
Macalester College is a Yellow Ribbon school: the institution and the VA jointly fund tuition that exceeds the GI Bill® cap. In the most recent year, about 12 students received Yellow Ribbon awards at this school.
Seat counts and matching amounts change by program each year; verify the details with the schools military and veteran services team.
DoD Tuition Assistance pays up to $250 per credit hour for active-duty students; here is how the per-credit charge at Macalester compares.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $230 |  |
| Out-of-state | $230 | |
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 Macalester.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $15,477 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $2,499/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $19,992 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $4,515 |
The benefit generally more than covers off-campus living costs here. Your actual MHA depends on your rate of pursuit and the school’s location.
With a Post-9/11 book stipend of up to $1,000 per year, the estimated $926 in supply costs at Macalester, so the stipend covers them in full.
These figures show the GI Bill® and DoD Tuition Assistance dollars veterans and service members actually used at Macalester.
In the latest reporting year, about 10 students drew Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefits totaling $265,674.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 21 | $533,860 | $25,422 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 21 | $533,860 | — |
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.