by our College Data Analytics TeamWill you go to VWU 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 VWU. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $36,960 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $20,235 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $16,725 |
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® caps the annual tuition benefit (about $20,235), so the tuition above that is a gap veterans must cover through Yellow Ribbon, savings, or other aid at VWU.
Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, Virginia Wesleyan University and the VA share the cost of tuition above the Post-9/11 cap. About 7 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 VWU compares.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $0 |  |
| Out-of-state | $0 | |
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® also covers housing through a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA). Here is how that benefit compares to the estimated cost of living at VWU.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $11,513 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $2,448/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $19,584 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $8,071 |
The benefit generally more than covers off-campus living costs here. 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; VWU estimates these costs at about $1,500, leaving about $500 out of pocket.
These figures show the GI Bill® and DoD Tuition Assistance dollars veterans and service members actually used at VWU.
In the latest reporting year, about 96 Post-9/11 recipients used tuition benefits worth $1,526,565.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 79 | $1,369,987 | $17,342 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 76 | $1,352,773 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 3 | $17,214 | — |
GI Bill® dollars are paid on the veterans behalf, while DoD Tuition Assistance supports active-duty service 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.