GI Bill at a UC?

turtlerock
Sat, 21 Apr 2012 20:52:09 +0000

I’m not 100% sure, but this is how I think it has been explained to me:

The GI Bill in essence replaces any institutional grants up front. For example, a school A’s cost of tuition is $20,000 and offers $10,000 in school grant $5,500 in Federal loans.

In summary that would leave $4,500 left for the student to cover (savings, work, parents, outside grants, whatever). However, once the veteran initiates their GI Bill, and has tuition covered up to $17,500, then the school readjusts it’s institutional grant offer. VA Benefits will always be applied to school expenses first, before the school applies institutional aid.

So, the school takes your $17,500 from the VA and offers you to take out $2,500 in Fed loans or pay out of pocket. Therefore they’ve gotten out of offering anything from their side to the student (veteran).

Of course if your tuition and fees are less than that of the VA amount you are eligible for, then everything is covered in that way and no one has to offer anything else.

Any amount received from the VA is considered non-taxable.

Hope that helps a little bit.