by our College Data Analytics TeamWondering what the G.I. Bill® actually covers at Salem State? Coverage is not unlimited and varies school to school, so the fine print is worth checking.
Below is the gap between the Post-9/11 tuition benefit and the cost at Salem State. Living-expense and book benefits are addressed in their own sections below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $11,978 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $11,978 |
| 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 Salem State.
Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, Salem State University and the VA share the cost of tuition above the Post-9/11 cap. In the most recent year, about 6 students received Yellow Ribbon awards at this school.
Seat counts and matching amounts change by program each year; verify the details with the schools military and veteran services team.
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 Salem State falls under that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $476 |  |
| Out-of-state | $520 | |
On top of tuition, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® provides a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for the months you are in school. Below, the academic-year housing benefit is set against the estimated living costs at Salem State.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $10,588 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $4,755/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $38,040 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $27,452 |
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 $1,200 in supply costs at Salem State, leaving about $200 out of pocket.
Beyond the coverage math above, this is how much veteran education-benefit money actually flows to Salem State.
In the latest reporting year, about 116 students drew Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefits totaling $935,242.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 114 | $856,621 | $7,514 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 96 | $749,974 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 18 | $106,647 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 1 | $4,500 | $4,500 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 1 | $4,500 | — |
| 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.