by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to Southwest Tech for free thanks to the G.I. Bill®? 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 Southwest Tech. Housing and book benefits are covered separately below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $4,796 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $4,796 |
| 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 Southwest Tech.
Federal data does not indicate that Southwest Tech currently participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. If you need benefits beyond the Post-9/11 cap, ask the schools veteran services office whether any programs participate.
For active-duty students, Tuition Assistance covers up to $250 per credit hour — the indicators below show whether Southwest Tech is below that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $419 |  |
| Out-of-state | $419 | |
On top of tuition, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® provides a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for the months you are in school. Here is how that benefit compares to the estimated cost of living at Southwest Tech.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $9,614 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $1,521/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $12,168 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $2,554 |
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.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® pays a books-and-supplies stipend of up to $1,000 per year. Estimated book and supply costs at Southwest Tech run about $2,061, leaving about $1,061 out of pocket.
These figures show the GI Bill® and DoD Tuition Assistance dollars veterans and service members actually used at Southwest Tech.
In the latest reporting year, about 22 Post-9/11 recipients used tuition benefits worth $66,295.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 10 | $26,892 | $2,689 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 10 | $26,892 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 2 | $4,646 | $2,323 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 2 | $4,646 | — |
GI Bill® dollars are paid on the veterans behalf, while DoD Tuition Assistance supports active-duty service 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.