by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to St. Andrews for free thanks to the G.I. Bill®? Coverage is not unlimited and varies school to school, so the fine print is worth checking.
Here is how the Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefit stacks up against the published cost of attending St. Andrews. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $30,800 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $20,235 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $10,565 |
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 St. Andrews.
St. Andrews University is a Yellow Ribbon school: the institution and the VA jointly fund tuition that exceeds the GI Bill® cap. About 12 Yellow Ribbon recipients were reported at this school.
The exact number of seats and the maximum contribution vary by degree level and program, so confirm the current limits with the schools veteran services office.
DoD Tuition Assistance pays up to $250 per credit hour for active-duty students; here is how the per-credit charge at St. Andrews compares.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $2,000 |  |
| Out-of-state | $2,000 | |
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 St. Andrews.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $5,248 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $1,488/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $11,904 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $6,656 |
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.
Eligible veterans receive up to $1,000 a year for books and supplies; St. Andrews estimates these costs at about $2,100, leaving about $1,100 out of pocket.
These figures show the GI Bill® and DoD Tuition Assistance dollars veterans and service members actually used at St. Andrews.
In the latest reporting year, about 38 students drew Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefits totaling $591,142.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 28 | $230,880 | $8,246 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 28 | $230,880 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 0 | $0 | — |
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.