by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to UC 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 UC. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $32,842 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $20,235 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $12,607 |
Because the Post-9/11 tuition benefit is capped near $20,235 per year, tuition above the cap is the veterans responsibility at UC.
University of Charleston is a Yellow Ribbon school: the institution and the VA jointly fund tuition that exceeds the GI Bill® cap.
Seat counts and matching amounts change by program each year; verify the details with the schools military and veteran services team.
DoD Tuition Assistance pays up to $250 per credit hour for active-duty students; here is how the per-credit charge at UC compares.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $400 |  |
| Out-of-state | $400 | |
On top of tuition, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® provides a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for the months you are in school. The table compares the housing benefit to estimated living expenses at UC.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $11,400 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $1,434/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $11,472 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $72 |
For most full-time students the housing allowance covers the cost of living off campus, with money left over. Your actual MHA depends on your rate of pursuit and the school’s location.
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 UC run about $2,000, leaving about $1,000 out of pocket.
These figures show the GI Bill® and DoD Tuition Assistance dollars veterans and service members actually used at UC.
Approximately 15 veterans received Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition payments of $188,191.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 213 | $1,063,671 | $4,994 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 147 | $677,229 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 66 | $386,442 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 1,514 | $3,911,006 | $2,583 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 1,224 | $3,197,456 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 290 | $713,550 | — |
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.