by our College Data Analytics TeamHow much of the cost at Sonoran Desert Institute will the G.I. Bill® cover? GI Bill® benefits are limited and differ by school, so the specifics matter.
Here is how the Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefit stacks up against the published cost of attending Sonoran Desert Institute. Housing and book benefits are covered separately below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $12,280 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $12,280 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $0 |
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefit is enough to cover the full tuition and fees at Sonoran Desert Institute.
Sonoran Desert Institute 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. Roughly 2 students used Yellow Ribbon benefits here in the latest reporting year.
Seat counts and matching amounts change by program each year; verify the details with the schools military and veteran services team.
For active-duty students, Tuition Assistance covers up to $250 per credit hour — the indicators below show whether Sonoran Desert Institute is below that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $1,400 |  |
| Out-of-state | $1,400 | |
Beyond tuition, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® pays a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) while you are enrolled. The table compares the housing benefit to estimated living expenses at Sonoran Desert Institute.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $13,328 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $2,514/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $20,112 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $6,784 |
The benefit generally more than covers off-campus living costs here. 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; Sonoran Desert Institute estimates these costs at about $0, so the stipend covers them in full.
These figures show the GI Bill® and DoD Tuition Assistance dollars veterans and service members actually used at Sonoran Desert Institute.
Roughly 3,902 students drew Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefits totaling $29,825,917.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 3,665 | $26,045,244 | $7,106 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 3,665 | $26,045,244 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 1,089 | $3,223,313 | $2,960 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 1,089 | $3,223,313 | — |
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.