by our College Data Analytics TeamHow much of the cost at UCLA will the G.I. Bill® cover? The answer depends on the school — benefits are capped and the details vary, so it pays to do your research.
The table below compares the guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit to the cost of attending UCLA. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $13,747 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $13,747 |
| 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 UCLA.
UCLA is not listed as a Yellow Ribbon participant in current federal reporting. If you need benefits beyond the Post-9/11 cap, ask the schools veteran services office whether any programs participate.
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 UCLA falls under that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $1,973 |  |
| Out-of-state | $1,973 | |
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 UCLA.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $17,436 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $3,864/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $30,912 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $13,476 |
For most full-time students the housing allowance covers the cost of living off campus, with money left over. 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 UCLA run about $1,574, leaving about $574 out of pocket.
Beyond the coverage math above, this is how much veteran education-benefit money actually flows to UCLA.
Roughly 96 Post-9/11 recipients used tuition benefits worth $429,032.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 229 | $6,414,725 | $28,012 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 82 | $632,406 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 147 | $5,782,319 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 3 | $10,166 | $3,389 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 2 | $7,333 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 1 | $2,833 | — |
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.