36 months or more (100%)
At least 30 continuous days (Discharged due to disability) (100%)
30 months to < 36 months (90%)
24 months to < 30 months (80%)
18 months to < 24 months (70%)
6 months to < 18 months (60%)
90 days to < 6 months (50%)
Select your length of service to determine your benefit percentage level.
Public School (In-State)
Private or Foreign School
Enter the total tuition and mandatory fees charged by the school.
In-Person (Resident)
Online Only (Distance Learning)
Required for In-Person. Enter the E-5 rate for the school's zip code (use DoD calculator).
Standard Full-Time is usually 12 credits. Used to calculate rate of pursuit.
VA Tuition Coverage (Yearly):$0.00
Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA):$0.00
Book & Supply Stipend (Yearly):$0.00
Est. Total Annual Benefit:$0.00
*Estimates based on current academic year caps. Actual VA awards may vary.
Understanding Post-9/11 GI Bill Rates
The Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service after September 10, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. Calculating your exact rate involves understanding three main components: tuition coverage, the Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA), and the books and supplies stipend.
1. Eligibility Tiers
Your benefit level is determined by your cumulative length of active duty service. This percentage applies to all payments (tuition, housing, and books). For example, if you served 24 months, you are generally eligible for the 80% tier. This means the VA pays 80% of the tuition cap and provides 80% of the housing allowance.
2. Tuition and Fee Payments
The amount the VA pays toward your school depends on the type of institution:
Public Schools: If you attend a public school as an in-state student, the GI Bill covers all net tuition and mandatory fees for the percentage level of your eligibility tier.
Private or Foreign Schools: There is a national maximum cap for the academic year (approximately $27,120 for the 2023-2024 academic year). The VA will pay the lesser of the actual tuition or this cap, multiplied by your eligibility tier.
3. Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA)
The MHA is generally the same as the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents. This rate is based on the zip code of the campus where you physically attend the majority of your classes.
Important for Online Students: If you are taking classes exclusively online (no classroom instruction), your MHA is set to half the national average, which is approximately $1,055 (varying by academic year).
To receive any MHA, your Rate of Pursuit (RoP) must be greater than 50%. If you are a full-time student (usually 12 credits), you receive the full MHA. If you are between 50% and 100%, the payment is rounded to the nearest 10%.
4. Books and Supplies Stipend
You may receive an annual book stipend of up to $1,000 per academic year. This is paid proportionately based on the number of credits you are taking, at roughly $41.67 per credit hour, up to the yearly cap.
function calculateGIBill() {
// Inputs
var tier = parseFloat(document.getElementById('serviceTier').value);
var schoolType = document.getElementById('schoolType').value;
var tuitionCost = parseFloat(document.getElementById('tuitionCost').value);
var format = document.getElementById('learningFormat').value;
var bahRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('bahRate').value);
var credits = parseFloat(document.getElementById('credits').value);
// Validation
if (isNaN(tuitionCost)) tuitionCost = 0;
if (isNaN(bahRate)) bahRate = 0;
if (isNaN(credits)) credits = 0;
// Constants (Based on 2023-2024 Academic Year approximate values)
var privateCap = 27120.05;
var onlineMhaRate = 1055.00; // Half national average approx
var bookRatePerCredit = 41.67;
var bookCap = 1000.00;
var fullTimeCredits = 12; // Standard semester assumption
// 1. Calculate Tuition Coverage
var coveredTuition = 0;
if (schoolType === 'public') {
// Public: 100% of instate tuition * tier
coveredTuition = tuitionCost * tier;
} else {
// Private: Cap applies
var applicableTuition = Math.min(tuitionCost, privateCap);
coveredTuition = applicableTuition * tier;
}
// 2. Calculate MHA (Monthly Housing Allowance)
var monthlyMha = 0;
var rateOfPursuit = credits / fullTimeCredits;
// Cap RoP at 1.0 (100%)
if (rateOfPursuit > 1) rateOfPursuit = 1;
// MHA rules: Must be > 50% rate of pursuit to get anything
if (rateOfPursuit > 0.5) {
var baseMha = 0;
if (format === 'online') {
baseMha = onlineMhaRate;
} else {
baseMha = bahRate;
}
// Round RoP to nearest 10% for payment calculation?
// Actually, the rule is usually rounded to the nearest 10th.
// e.g., .83 becomes .80.
var roundedRoP = Math.round(rateOfPursuit * 10) / 10;
// If the user selected active duty (not in this simple calc but standard rule), MHA is 0.
// Assuming veteran status for this calculator.
monthlyMha = baseMha * tier * roundedRoP;
} else {
monthlyMha = 0;
}
// 3. Calculate Books Stipend
// $41.67 per credit, up to $1000/yr. Multiplied by tier.
var bookStipend = (bookRatePerCredit * credits);
if (bookStipend > bookCap) bookStipend = bookCap;
bookStipend = bookStipend * tier;
// Calculate Totals (Annual estimate assuming 9 months of MHA for a standard year)
var annualMha = monthlyMha * 9;
var totalBenefit = coveredTuition + annualMha + bookStipend;
// Display Results
document.getElementById('results-area').style.display = 'block';
document.getElementById('resultTuition').innerText = formatCurrency(coveredTuition);
document.getElementById('resultMHA').innerText = formatCurrency(monthlyMha) + " / mo";
document.getElementById('resultBooks').innerText = formatCurrency(bookStipend);
document.getElementById('resultTotal').innerText = formatCurrency(totalBenefit);
}
function formatCurrency(num) {
return '$' + num.toFixed(2).replace(/\d(?=(\d{3})+\.)/g, '$&,');
}