by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to OCU 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 OCU. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $23,700 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $20,235 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $3,465 |
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 OCU.
Ohio Christian University 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.
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 OCU falls under that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $900 |  |
| Out-of-state | $900 | |
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 OCU.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $9,300 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $2,088/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $16,704 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $7,404 |
For most full-time students the housing allowance covers the cost of living off campus, with money left over. Your actual MHA depends on your rate of pursuit and the school’s location.
With a Post-9/11 book stipend of up to $1,000 per year, the estimated $1,200 in supply costs at OCU, leaving about $200 out of pocket.
These figures show the GI Bill® and DoD Tuition Assistance dollars veterans and service members actually used at OCU.
Roughly 42 Post-9/11 recipients used tuition benefits worth $292,733.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 33 | $233,326 | $7,070 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 28 | $203,210 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 5 | $30,116 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 12 | $34,005 | $2,834 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 8 | $27,255 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 4 | $6,750 | — |
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.