by our College Data Analytics TeamWondering what the G.I. Bill® actually covers at WCUPA? GI Bill® benefits are limited and differ by school, so the specifics matter.
Here is how the Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefit stacks up against the published cost of attending WCUPA. See the living-expense and book sections below for those benefits.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $10,687 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $10,687 |
| 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 WCUPA.
Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, West Chester University of Pennsylvania and the VA share the cost of tuition above the Post-9/11 cap.
The exact number of seats and the maximum contribution vary by degree level and program, so confirm the current limits with the schools veteran services office.
For active-duty students, Tuition Assistance covers up to $250 per credit hour — the indicators below show whether WCUPA is below that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $765 |  |
| Out-of-state | $825 | |
Beyond tuition, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® pays a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) while you are enrolled. The table compares the housing benefit to estimated living expenses at WCUPA.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $17,124 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $3,027/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $24,216 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $7,092 |
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.
Eligible veterans receive up to $1,000 a year for books and supplies; WCUPA estimates these costs at about $1,200, leaving about $200 out of pocket.
These figures show the GI Bill® and DoD Tuition Assistance dollars veterans and service members actually used at WCUPA.
In the latest reporting year, about 183 Post-9/11 recipients used tuition benefits worth $1,273,679.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 163 | $1,315,866 | $8,073 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 116 | $993,978 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 47 | $321,888 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 57 | $180,430 | $3,165 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 43 | $143,930 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 14 | $36,500 | — |
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.