by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to Montana State University - Billings 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 Montana State University - Billings. Living-expense and book benefits are addressed in their own sections below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $6,706 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $6,706 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $0 |
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefit is enough to cover the full tuition and fees at Montana State University - Billings.
Montana State University Billings participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which can cover tuition and fees beyond the Post-9/11 GI Bill® cap through matching funds from the school and the VA. About 1 Yellow Ribbon recipients were reported at this school.
Available Yellow Ribbon seats and maximum contributions differ by program and degree level — check with the veteran services office for current limits.
For active-duty students, Tuition Assistance covers up to $250 per credit hour — the indicators below show whether Montana State University - Billings is below that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $433 |  |
| Out-of-state | $409 | |
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 Montana State University - Billings.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $9,800 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $1,935/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $15,480 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $5,680 |
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 $1,700 in supply costs at Montana State University - Billings, leaving about $700 out of pocket.
These figures show the GI Bill® and DoD Tuition Assistance dollars veterans and service members actually used at Montana State University - Billings.
Roughly 82 Post-9/11 recipients used tuition benefits worth $378,537.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 98 | $474,822 | $4,845 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 93 | $446,298 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 5 | $28,524 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 3 | $8,040 | $2,680 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 2 | $5,790 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 1 | $2,250 | — |
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.