by our College Data Analytics TeamWondering what the G.I. Bill® actually covers at Merrimack? 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 Merrimack. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $51,786 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $20,235 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $31,551 |
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 Merrimack.
Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, Merrimack College and the VA share the cost of tuition above the Post-9/11 cap. In the most recent year, about 10 students received Yellow Ribbon awards at this school.
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 Merrimack falls under that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $1,116 |  |
| Out-of-state | $1,116 | |
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® also covers housing through a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA). Here is how that benefit compares to the estimated cost of living at Merrimack.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $19,995 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $3,429/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $27,432 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $7,437 |
For most full-time students the housing allowance covers the cost of living off campus, with money left over. 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 $1,000 in supply costs at Merrimack, so the stipend covers them in full.
This is the real volume of GI Bill® and military tuition benefits paid out at Merrimack.
Roughly 61 Post-9/11 recipients used tuition benefits worth $841,688.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 55 | $780,950 | $14,199 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 29 | $545,875 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 26 | $235,075 | — |
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.