by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to UC Davis for free thanks to the G.I. Bill®? The answer depends on the school — benefits are capped and the details vary, so it pays to do your research.
Here is how the Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefit stacks up against the published cost of attending UC Davis. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $15,247 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $15,247 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $0 |
Public-college veterans generally have their entire in-state tuition paid by the Post-9/11 GI Bill® at UC Davis.
Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, University of California-Davis and the VA share the cost of tuition above the Post-9/11 cap.
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 UC Davis is below that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $3,544 |  |
| Out-of-state | $3,544 | |
Beyond tuition, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® pays a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) while you are enrolled. Below, the academic-year housing benefit is set against the estimated living costs at UC Davis.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $13,076 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $2,997/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $23,976 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $10,900 |
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.
With a Post-9/11 book stipend of up to $1,000 per year, the estimated $1,381 in supply costs at UC Davis, leaving about $381 out of pocket.
Beyond the coverage math above, this is how much veteran education-benefit money actually flows to UC Davis.
Approximately 265 Post-9/11 recipients used tuition benefits worth $4,181,543.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 104 | $2,944,407 | $28,312 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 40 | $453,230 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 64 | $2,491,177 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 0 | $0 | — |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 0 | $0 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 0 | $0 | — |
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.