by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to UWF 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 UWF. Living-expense and book benefits are addressed in their own sections below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $6,360 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $6,360 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $0 |
Because tuition is at or below the annual Post-9/11 benefit, the GI Bill® covers it in full at UWF.
University of West Florida 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. About 25 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.
DoD Tuition Assistance pays up to $250 per credit hour for active-duty students; here is how the per-credit charge at UWF compares.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $68 |  |
| Out-of-state | $88 | |
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 UWF.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $14,082 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $1,956/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $15,648 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $1,566 |
The benefit generally more than covers off-campus living costs here. MHA amounts reflect the local housing rate for the school’s area.
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 UWF run about $1,600, leaving about $600 out of pocket.
These figures show the GI Bill® and DoD Tuition Assistance dollars veterans and service members actually used at UWF.
In the latest reporting year, about 938 veterans received Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition payments of $4,139,674.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 25 | $71,397 | $2,856 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 18 | $58,461 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 7 | $12,936 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 260 | $812,951 | $3,127 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 151 | $431,927 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 109 | $381,024 | — |
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.