by our College Data Analytics TeamHow much of the cost at WKU 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.
Here is how the Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefit stacks up against the published cost of attending WKU. Living-expense and book benefits are addressed in their own sections below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $11,436 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $11,436 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $0 |
At public institutions the Post-9/11 GI Bill® pays in-state tuition and fees in full, meaning most eligible veterans pay no tuition at WKU.
Western Kentucky University 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.
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 WKU falls under that cap.
| Residency | Per-credit charge | Below $250 cap? |
|---|---|---|
| In-state | $0 |  |
| Out-of-state | $0 | |
Beyond tuition, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® pays a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) while you are enrolled. Here is how that benefit compares to the estimated cost of living at WKU.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $12,043 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $1,770/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $14,160 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $2,117 |
At this school the academic-year housing benefit exceeds typical living costs, so most full-time students come out ahead. 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 WKU run about $1,000, so the stipend covers them in full.
Beyond the coverage math above, this is how much veteran education-benefit money actually flows to WKU.
Roughly 284 Post-9/11 recipients used tuition benefits worth $2,213,399.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 221 | $2,033,055 | $9,199 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 176 | $1,614,881 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 45 | $418,174 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 229 | $564,575 | $2,465 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 79 | $195,600 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 150 | $368,975 | — |
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.