GI Bill Education Calculator
Estimate Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition, housing, and books — or switch to Chapter 35 (DEA) if you're the spouse or child of a permanently & totally disabled or deceased veteran.
2025-2026 academic year
Education benefits
See what your GI Bill is really worth
The Post-9/11 GI Bill and Chapter 35 DEA pay in very different ways — one covers tuition and housing, the other sends a flat monthly check. Put in your own numbers below and see the real dollar value, side by side.
What the Post-9/11 GI Bill pays for
Tuition scales with service length
The Post-9/11 GI Bill pays a percentage of tuition based on how long you served on active duty after 9/10/2001 — from 50% at 90 days up to 100% at 36 months.
A monthly housing allowance
Enrolled more than half-time and in person? You also get a monthly housing stipend tied to your school’s ZIP code. Online-only students receive a fixed national rate.
Up to $1,000 a year for books
A separate books-and-supplies stipend of up to $1,000 per academic year, paid in proportion to your benefit tier.
It can pass to your family
You may transfer unused Post-9/11 benefits to a spouse or child, and survivors of a permanently disabled or deceased veteran may qualify for Chapter 35 DEA.
The money most veterans forget to count
Most veterans hear the words GI Bill, picture free tuition, and stop counting there. But at the full tier the monthly housing allowance often pays out more than tuition does — and it lands in your bank account tax-free, on top of a separate books stipend. Overlook it and you have badly undervalued your own benefit.
A worked example
100% tier · full-time · in person · public in-state school
Tuition & fees covered
example in-state figure
$11,000
Housing allowance
$2,100/mo × ~9 months, tax-free
$18,900
Books & supplies
per academic year
$1,000
About a year
tuition + housing + books
$30,900
Across the full 36-month entitlement (about 4 academic years)
≈ $123,600
Tuition shown is an example in-state figure; housing, books, and the online cap are current VA rates. Your own housing allowance depends on the ZIP code of your school — run your real numbers in the estimator below.
In person = the full check
Attend more than half-time and in person and the housing allowance follows your school ZIP code — often $18,900 or more a year, tax-free and separate from tuition.
Online or half-time = less
Online-only housing is capped at $1,119/mo — about $8,834 a year less than in person. At half-time or below, no housing is paid at all.
Estimate your benefit
Choose the program that fits you, then enter your numbers.
36 or more months earns the full 100% tier.
Public in-state tuition is covered in full at the top tier; private/foreign schools are capped.
What the school charges per academic year, before any benefit.
Housing is only paid when you attend more than half-time.
Look up your school’s ZIP-code MHA in the VA Comparison Tool. Leave 0 to use a national average.
Most full-time students are in class about 9 months a year.
Your yearly GI Bill value
Enter your months of service and tuition on the left, and your estimate — tuition, housing, and books — appears here instantly.
The rate tables, in plain numbers
Current figures for the 2025–2026 academic year. VA updates the tuition cap and housing rates every August 1; DEA rates update every October 1.
Post-9/11 tuition tiers
Percentage of your benefit by qualifying active-duty service.
| Qualifying service | Benefit |
|---|---|
| 36+ months of active duty | 100% |
| 30 - 35 months | 90% |
| 24 - 29 months | 80% |
| 18 - 23 months | 70% |
| 6 - 17 months | 60% |
| 90 days - 5 months | 50% |
Private/foreign cap: $29,920.95 per year
Books stipend: up to $1,000 per year
Online-only housing: $1,118.50 per month (max)
Chapter 35 DEA monthly rates
Flat monthly stipend paid to the student, by enrollment level.
| Enrollment | Per month |
|---|---|
| Full-time | $1,574.00 |
| Three-quarter time | $1,244.00 |
| Half-time | $912.00 |
| Quarter-time or less | $393.50 |
Entitlement: 36 months of full-time benefits
Full-time potential: $56,664 over the full entitlement
Education-benefit questions, answered
How much does the Post-9/11 GI Bill actually pay?
At the 100% tier it covers all in-state public tuition and fees, plus up to $1,000 a year for books and a monthly housing allowance while you are enrolled more than half-time. Lower tiers pay the same categories at a reduced percentage. Private and foreign schools are capped (see the rate tables below), with the Yellow Ribbon Program available to close the gap at participating schools.
How is my benefit tier decided?
Your tier is set by your total months of qualifying active-duty service after September 10, 2001. Thirty-six or more months earns the full 100% rate. There is also an automatic 100% tier for a Purple Heart recipient, or for anyone discharged for a service-connected disability after at least 30 continuous days.
What is the monthly housing allowance and when is it paid?
The housing allowance (MHA) is a monthly stipend based on the ZIP code of your school and is only payable when you attend more than half-time. In-person students are paid at their local rate; online-only students receive a fixed national online rate. It is not paid for months you are not in class, so most students receive it for roughly 9 months a year.
My school costs more than the private-school cap. What then?
Private and foreign schools are limited to the annual national cap shown in the rate tables below. The Yellow Ribbon Program lets participating schools waive part of the remaining tuition, with the VA matching that amount dollar for dollar — so the out-of-pocket gap can shrink to zero at a school that participates generously.
What is Chapter 35 DEA and who qualifies?
The Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance program (Chapter 35, DEA) pays a flat monthly stipend directly to the student — the spouse or child of a veteran who is permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition, or who died in service or from a service-connected condition. The student pays their own tuition out of that stipend.
DEA vs. a transferred GI Bill vs. the Fry Scholarship — which is better?
It depends on the school. DEA pays a flat monthly check regardless of tuition, so it can be the winner at a low-cost or online school. A transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill or the Fry Scholarship pays tuition directly plus a housing allowance, which is usually far more valuable at a pricey school. The comparison built into the estimator below shows both side by side for your numbers.
How do I apply?
Veterans apply for the Post-9/11 GI Bill with VA Form 22-1990; survivors and dependents apply for DEA with VA Form 22-5490. You can file online at VA.gov, and the VA will mail a Certificate of Eligibility you take to your school’s certifying official.
Not sure which benefit is worth more?
DEA eligibility hinges on the veteran’s permanent & total rating — the same rating that unlocks a transferable GI Bill and thousands more in compensation. We can review your rating for free and map out every education benefit your family has earned.
A stronger disability rating can be the key that opens Chapter 35 for your dependents.
About this benefit
The Post-9/11 GI Bill helps you pay for school or job training after at least 90 days of active-duty service on or after September 11, 2001. It can cover tuition and fees, pay a monthly housing allowance, and provide an annual books stipend. Your benefit level depends on how long you served.
If you’re a spouse or child of a veteran who is permanently & totally (P&T) disabled from a service-connected condition — or who died from one — switch the calculator to Chapter 35 (DEA). That program pays a flat monthly stipend directly to the student forup to 36 months. Because a dependent can sometimes use a GI Bill the veteran transferred, or the Fry Scholarship instead, the dependent view also compares DEA side-by-side with that full package — so your family picks the benefit that pays the most.
How to use it
- 1Choose who you are: the veteran (Post-9/11 GI Bill) or a spouse/child (Chapter 35 DEA).
- 2Every field starts at zero — enter your own service months, tuition, and enrollment.
- 3Pick your school type, how you attend, and your enrollment level.
- 4On the dependent side, compare DEA against a transferred GI Bill or the Fry Scholarship to see which pays more.
What it covers
- Post-9/11 tuition coverage by benefit tier
- Monthly housing allowance (MHA) and books stipend
- Chapter 35 (DEA) flat monthly rates for dependents
- DEA vs. full Post-9/11 package (transferred GI Bill or Fry) comparison
Official VA links
Work with our accredited claims agents
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This is an estimate only. Your actual GI Bill benefits depend on your verified entitlement, your school, and current VA rates. Use the official VA GI Bill Comparison Tool for the most accurate figures. VA Benefits Calculators is not affiliated with the VA — the VA makes all final decisions about eligibility and payment amounts. Always confirm details at va.gov.