by our College Data Analytics TeamHow much of the cost at Penn State Altoona will the G.I. Bill® cover? 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 Penn State Altoona. Living-expense and book benefits are addressed in their own sections below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $15,944 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $15,944 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $0 |
Tuition and fees here fall within the annual Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefit, so eligible veterans typically owe nothing toward tuition at Penn State Altoona.
Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona and the VA share the cost of tuition above the Post-9/11 cap.
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 Penn State Altoona is below that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $91 |  |
| Out-of-state | $91 | |
On top of tuition, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® provides a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for the months you are in school. The table compares the housing benefit to estimated living expenses at Penn State Altoona.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $13,448 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $1,644/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $13,152 |
| Estimated shortfall to cover yourself | $296 |
The housing benefit does not fully cover estimated living costs at this school — budget for the gap. The MHA is based on the school’s ZIP code and is paid at the full-time rate for resident students.
Eligible veterans receive up to $1,000 a year for books and supplies; Penn State Altoona estimates these costs at about $1,840, leaving about $840 out of pocket.
These figures show the GI Bill® and DoD Tuition Assistance dollars veterans and service members actually used at Penn State Altoona.
Roughly 72 students drew Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefits totaling $730,187.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 50 | $751,019 | $15,020 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 50 | $751,019 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 0 | $0 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 1 | $3,750 | $3,750 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 1 | $3,750 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 0 | $0 | — |
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.