by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria for free thanks to the G.I. Bill®? GI Bill® benefits are limited and differ by school, so the specifics matter.
Below is the gap between the Post-9/11 tuition benefit and the cost at San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $21,997 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $20,235 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $1,762 |
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® caps the annual tuition benefit (about $20,235), so the tuition above that is a gap veterans must cover through Yellow Ribbon, savings, or other aid at San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria.
San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria is a Yellow Ribbon school: the institution and the VA jointly fund tuition that exceeds the GI Bill® cap.
Available Yellow Ribbon seats and maximum contributions differ by program and degree level — check with the veteran services office for current limits.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® also covers housing through a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA). Here is how that benefit compares to the estimated cost of living at San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $3,315/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $26,520 |
The Monthly Housing Allowance is paid for the months you are enrolled and is meant to offset off-campus living costs. 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; San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria estimates these costs at about $0, so the stipend covers them in full.
Beyond the coverage math above, this is how much veteran education-benefit money actually flows to San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria.
In the latest reporting year, about 5 students drew Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefits totaling $67,578.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 2 | $46,139 | $23,070 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 2 | $46,139 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 0 | $0 | — |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 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.