by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to UW Tacoma 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.
The table below compares the guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit to the cost of attending UW Tacoma. Living-expense and book benefits are addressed in their own sections below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $12,817 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $12,817 |
| 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 UW Tacoma.
UW Tacoma 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.
For active-duty students, Tuition Assistance covers up to $250 per credit hour — the indicators below show whether UW Tacoma is below that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $133 |  |
| Out-of-state | $133 | |
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 UW Tacoma.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $15,948 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $2,631/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $21,048 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $5,100 |
For most full-time students the housing allowance covers the cost of living off campus, with money left over. The MHA is based on the school’s ZIP code and is paid at the full-time rate for resident students.
Eligible veterans receive up to $1,000 a year for books and supplies; UW Tacoma estimates these costs at about $900, so the stipend covers them in full.
Beyond the coverage math above, this is how much veteran education-benefit money actually flows to UW Tacoma.
Roughly 428 students drew Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefits totaling $4,009,332.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 339 | $3,635,241 | $10,723 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 292 | $2,878,534 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 47 | $756,707 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 14 | $43,272 | $3,091 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 10 | $28,439 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 4 | $14,833 | — |
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.