You are qualified to receive in-state tuition (regardless of home address) instead of out-of-state tuition rates when using the GI Bill and you meet these criteria:

• You were on active duty for at least 90 days after September 9, 2001, and
• You are qualified for the Post 9/11 GI Bill or the Montgomery GI Bill

Or,

• You are a spouse, dependent, or survivor of a qualified GI Bill beneficiary,
• You are a recipient of the Fry Scholarship, or
• You are using transferred GI Bill benefits

You can use this benefit only if you enroll within three years after your discharge from active duty.

Or, if you are the spouse, dependent, or survivor of a military veteran receiving GI Bill benefits, then you have to be enrolled within three years after that person has been discharged.

If you were already enrolled but stopped for whatever reason, or transferred schools, you still qualify for this benefit as long as you resume your studies within the prescribed 3 years.

For the full list of detailed requirements, visit the va.gov website here regarding in-state tuition eligibility requirements.

Want to know the best news yet?

It doesn’t matter how much time you have been living in the state where you are studying. So long as you are currently residing in the same state as your college, even if you just moved there yesterday, then you definitely qualify to receive GI Bill in-state tuition benefits!

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Can Military Spouses or Dependents Get In-State Tuition?

Yes, if you are a dependent of a veteran, whether you are a spouse or child, then you can qualify for in-state tuition in all 50 states as long as its within 3 years of discharge. 

Take note, this benefit currently applies only to veterans, and not for active duty service members looking to use the GI Bill.  

If your military spouse or father/mother is still active duty, you don’t get this out-of-state tuition exemption.

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Also, if you are taking an exclusively online degree program with the GI Bill, or studying at a private school, we are sad to break the news to you: you cannot qualify for in-state tuition in this scenario (although some states may differ).

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But, hold on a minute!

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There is still a way to take advantage of your GI Bill benefits even if you are enrolled at an online program or in a private school. The GI Bill provides up to $24,476.79 as an annual maximum reimbursable amount on tuition fees, depending on your program and the amount of time you have served.

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The Yellow Ribbon Program

You can also use the Yellow Ribbon Program to cover tuition and other school fees that are not covered by the GI Bill. Isn’t that great?

If you’re wondering how this works, then here it is:

Schools volunteer to participate in the program to aid veterans in pursuing their degrees. The Yellow Ribbon Program covers tuition fees that are in excess of what your GI Bill benefits can provide you. You can learn more about it here.

What will the GI Bill pay for?

With the GI Bill, schools are mandated to only charge veterans their in-state rates, and these rates will be paid with the benefits you have in your entitlement.

This is a huge help, as out-of-state tuition can cost  ~$10,000 more than in-state tuition rates.

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Your GI Bill education benefits will cover your tuition and fees, as well as provide monthly housing allowance (BAH) and yearly books and supplies stipend, whether you are studying in or out of state.

This applies to all 50 states nationwide!

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Post 9/11 GI Bill Entitlement Percentage:

The amount of reimbursable payments depends on how much time you were on active duty after September 9, 2001. You can check out the percentage rate below:

As for monthly housing allowance, it only applies if you are enrolled full-time or taking units equivalent to ¾ of the full-time load.

The rates of how much you can use depends on several factors. You can find out how much you can get based on where you are studying and residing here.

Meanwhile, the books and supplies stipend is capped at $1,000, and is provided to you at a prorated amount depending on the status of your enrollment.

GI Bill Benefits For Dependents Out-Of-State

The GI Bill is a great source of help in pursuing higher education and career advancement after your time in the military.

But, if you don’t plan on using these benefits anytime soon, then you might be worried that this opportunity will go to waste.

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Don’t worry! You can transfer your GI Bill benefits to your spouse or your children. 

You might want to consider this especially if you have a child about to go to college.

Here is how it works:

If you have served for a total of 6 years on or after August 1, 2009, and agree to serve 4 more years in the Armed Forces, the Department of Defense can allow you to transfer your unused entitlement to your spouse, provided that you meet their eligibility requirements.

This also works for transferring entitlement benefits to dependents of active personnel of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the Public Health System.

Just remember that transferring benefits only works if you are still serving in the military, and cannot be done after you have been discharged.

You can find out more information about this here.

Exceptions May Apply

Your school may have additional requirements on whether you qualify for an in-state rate, so be sure to find out the complete requirements and criteria from your school administration.

Also, schools have the option to grant in-state rates and tuition discounts to people with military connections or background, regardless if they are eligible for the GI Bill benefits.

So, if you feel that you don’t qualify for a GI Bill out-of-state benefit, there are still a lot of different options for you!

The Forever GI Bill

Alternatively, if you decide not to use or transfer your GI Bill benefits anytime soon, there is no need to rush because you still have a lifetime to use them!