by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to MACU for free thanks to the G.I. Bill®? GI Bill® benefits are limited and differ by school, so the specifics matter.
The table below compares the guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit to the cost of attending MACU. Housing and book benefits are covered separately below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $19,896 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $19,896 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $0 |
Because tuition is at or below the annual Post-9/11 benefit, the GI Bill® covers it in full at MACU.
Mid-America Christian University is a Yellow Ribbon school: the institution and the VA jointly fund tuition that exceeds the GI Bill® cap.
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 MACU compares.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $64 |  |
| Out-of-state | $64 | |
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® also covers housing through a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA). The table compares the housing benefit to estimated living expenses at MACU.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $8,427 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $1,746/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $13,968 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $5,541 |
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 $1,650 in supply costs at MACU, leaving about $650 out of pocket.
This is the real volume of GI Bill® and military tuition benefits paid out at MACU.
In the latest reporting year, about 100 Post-9/11 recipients used tuition benefits worth $787,419.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 136 | $926,087 | $6,809 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 103 | $678,361 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 33 | $247,726 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 12 | $36,000 | $3,000 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 10 | $29,750 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 2 | $6,250 | — |
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.