by our College Data Analytics TeamHow much of the cost at St. Olaf will the G.I. Bill® cover? 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 St. Olaf. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $56,970 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $20,235 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $36,735 |
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® limits the annual tuition benefit to roughly $20,235, so tuition beyond that is out of pocket (or covered by Yellow Ribbon) at St. Olaf.
Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, St Olaf College and the VA share the cost of tuition above the Post-9/11 cap. About 6 Yellow Ribbon recipients were reported at this school.
Available Yellow Ribbon seats and maximum contributions differ by program and degree level — check with the veteran services office for current limits.
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 St. Olaf falls under that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $0 |  |
| Out-of-state | $0 | |
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 St. Olaf.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $13,000 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $1,860/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $14,880 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $1,880 |
At this school the academic-year housing benefit exceeds typical living costs, so most full-time students come out ahead. Your actual MHA depends on your rate of pursuit and the school’s location.
With a Post-9/11 book stipend of up to $1,000 per year, the estimated $1,000 in supply costs at St. Olaf, so the stipend covers them in full.
Beyond the coverage math above, this is how much veteran education-benefit money actually flows to St. Olaf.
Roughly 17 Post-9/11 recipients used tuition benefits worth $375,016.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 16 | $346,124 | $21,633 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 16 | $346,124 | — |
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.