by our College Data Analytics TeamHow much of the cost at WWU will the G.I. Bill® cover? Coverage is not unlimited and varies school to school, so the fine print is worth checking.
The table below compares the guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit to the cost of attending WWU. Housing and book benefits are covered separately below.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Veteran tuition & fees | $9,286 |
| Guaranteed Post-9/11 tuition benefit | $9,286 |
| Tuition out of pocket | $0 |
The Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefit is enough to cover the full tuition and fees at WWU.
Western Washington University is a Yellow Ribbon school: the institution and the VA jointly fund tuition that exceeds the GI Bill® cap. Roughly 1 students used Yellow Ribbon benefits here in the latest reporting year.
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 WWU 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 WWU.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Estimated living expenses (room & board, academic year) | $14,915 |
| Post-9/11 monthly housing allowance (MHA) | $2,610/mo |
| Housing benefit (academic year, ~8 months) | $20,880 |
| Estimated surplus in your pocket | $5,965 |
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.
With a Post-9/11 book stipend of up to $1,000 per year, the estimated $1,176 in supply costs at WWU, leaving about $176 out of pocket.
These figures show the GI Bill® and DoD Tuition Assistance dollars veterans and service members actually used at WWU.
Approximately 340 students drew Post-9/11 GI Bill® tuition benefits totaling $2,312,847.
| Benefit | Recipients | Total disbursed | Average / recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| GI Bill® (all students) | 336 | $2,423,997 | $7,214 |
| GI Bill® — undergraduate | 329 | $2,360,139 | — |
| GI Bill® — graduate | 7 | $63,858 | — |
| DoD Tuition Assistance (all) | 3 | $8,750 | $2,917 |
| DoD TA — undergraduate | 3 | $8,750 | — |
| DoD TA — graduate | 0 | $0 | — |
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.