by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to MSOE 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.
Here is how the Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefit stacks up against the published cost of attending MSOE. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $48,421 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $20,235 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $28,186 |
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 MSOE.
Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, Milwaukee School of Engineering and the VA share the cost of tuition above the Post-9/11 cap. Roughly 20 students used Yellow Ribbon benefits here in the latest reporting year.
Available Yellow Ribbon seats and maximum contributions differ by program and degree level — check with the veteran services office for current limits.
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 MSOE falls under that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $17 |  |
| Out-of-state | $17 | |
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 MSOE.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $12,562 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $2,460/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $19,680 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $7,118 |
For most full-time students the housing allowance covers the cost of living off campus, with money left over. MHA amounts reflect the local housing rate for the school’s area.
With a Post-9/11 book stipend of up to $1,000 per year, the estimated $1,000 in supply costs at MSOE, so the stipend covers them in full.
Beyond the coverage math above, this is how much veteran education-benefit money actually flows to MSOE.
Approximately 57 Post-9/11 recipients used tuition benefits worth $963,080.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 43 | $884,043 | $20,559 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 38 | $819,195 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 5 | $64,848 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 2 | $8,000 | $4,000 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 2 | $8,000 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 0 | $0 | — |
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.