by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to NAU 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 NAU. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $12,652 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $12,652 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $0 |
Public-college veterans generally have their entire in-state tuition paid by the Post-9/11 GI Bill® at NAU.
Northern Arizona University is a Yellow Ribbon school: the institution and the VA jointly fund tuition that exceeds the GI Bill® cap.
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 NAU falls under that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $632 |  |
| Out-of-state | $632 | |
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 NAU.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $17,248 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $2,751/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $22,008 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $4,760 |
The benefit generally more than covers off-campus living costs here. MHA amounts reflect the local housing rate for the school’s area.
Eligible veterans receive up to $1,000 a year for books and supplies; NAU estimates these costs at about $900, so the stipend covers them in full.
Beyond the coverage math above, this is how much veteran education-benefit money actually flows to NAU.
In the latest reporting year, about 16 students drew Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefits totaling $59,049.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 575 | $4,666,301 | $8,115 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 491 | $3,647,472 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 84 | $1,018,829 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 139 | $336,057 | $2,418 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 65 | $164,432 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 74 | $171,625 | — |
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.