Home › Benefits › GI Bill rates 2026-27
Direct answer: For Aug. 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027, the Post-9/11 GI Bill pays full in-state public tuition or up to $30,908.34 at private schools, a housing allowance equal to 2026 BAH for an E-5 with dependents at your campus ZIP ($1,198 online-only), and up to $1,000 for books.
By the numbers: We'll pay the net tuition and mandatory fees up to $30,908.34. Source: VA: Post-9/11 GI Bill rates (2026-27)
“We base your MHA on the monthly military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates for an E-5 with dependents.” — VA: Post-9/11 GI Bill rates (updated Oct. 13, 2026)
Updated 2026-10-17
It's the 2026 BAH rate for an E-5 with dependents at the ZIP code of the campus where you take most classes, times your tier and rate of pursuit. Examples at 100% and full time: Nashville (37203) $2,268 a month, San Diego (92101) $3,975, Fort Bragg, NC (28307) $1,806, Columbus, OH $1,875. Online only: up to $1,198.
$30,908.34 a year in net tuition and fees for Aug. 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027, up 3.3% from $29,920.95. The same cap covers foreign and non-college degree programs; flight training is capped at $17,661.89 and correspondence at $15,012.59. Public schools: full in-state net tuition and fees.
Up to $1,198 a month (half the national average MHA), up from $1,169 in 2025-26, times your tier and rate of pursuit. Taking at least 1 class in person can qualify you for the higher campus-ZIP rate instead.
MGIB Active Duty pays $2,601.00 a month for full-time school if you served at least 3 continuous years (Oct. 1, 2026 to Sept. 30, 2027), up from $2,518.00. With less than 3 years it's $2,110.00 (was $2,043.00). Three-quarter time is $1,950.75 / $1,582.50 and half time $1,300.50 / $1,055.00.
VA's tiers: 30 to 35 months 90%, 24 to 29 months 80%, 18 to 23 months 70%, 6 to 17 months 60%, 90 days to 5 months 50%. You get 100% with 36+ months, a Purple Heart after Sept. 11, 2001, or 30+ continuous days and a discharge for a service-connected disability.
Up to $41.67 per credit hour for up to 24 credits a year, so up to $1,000 a year at 100%, prorated by your tier and paid at the start of each term. Non-college programs, apprenticeships and on-the-job training: up to $83 a month. Flight and correspondence training get no book money.
Only if your rate of pursuit is more than 50%. VA divides your credits by what your school calls full time and rounds to the nearest tenth: 9 of 12 credits is 80%, so you'd get 80% of the rate; 6 of 12 is 50%, which gets no housing allowance.
As of Oct. 17, 2026 · Post-9/11 rates Aug. 1, 2026 - July 31, 2027 · MGIB-AD from Oct. 1, 2026 · 2026 BAH
GI Bill 2026-27: full in-state tuition at public schools (up to $30,908.34 a year at private schools), a monthly housing allowance equal to 2026 BAH for an E-5 with dependents at your campus ZIP, and up to $1,000 a year for books. Online-only housing tops out at $1,198. Montgomery GI Bill full time: $2,601 a month from Oct. 1, 2026.
The math:
Sources: VA Post-9/11 rates 2026-27 · DTMO 2026 BAH · VA MGIB-AD rates 2026-27
A best fit for the situation described, not financial advice or a buy/sell recommendation. Partner links never change a pick.
| Area | Full time | 70% tier | 9 of 12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville, TN | $2,268 | $1,587.60 | $1,814.40 |
| Knoxville, TN | $2,184 | $1,528.80 | $1,747.20 |
| Chattanooga, TN | $1,986 | $1,390.20 | $1,588.80 |
| Memphis, TN | $2,154 | $1,507.80 | $1,723.20 |
| Fort Campbell, KY | $1,815 | $1,270.50 | $1,452.00 |
| Fort Bragg/Pope, NC | $1,806 | $1,264.20 | $1,444.80 |
| Camp Lejeune, NC | $1,584 | $1,108.80 | $1,267.20 |
| Camp Pendleton, CA | $3,963 | $2,774.10 | $3,170.40 |
| San Diego, CA | $3,975 | $2,782.50 | $3,180.00 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $3,882 | $2,717.40 | $3,105.60 |
| Austin, TX | $2,241 | $1,568.70 | $1,792.80 |
| San Antonio, TX | $1,869 | $1,308.30 | $1,495.20 |
| Columbus, OH | $1,875 | $1,312.50 | $1,500.00 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $2,358 | $1,650.60 | $1,886.40 |
| Tampa, FL | $2,709 | $1,896.30 | $2,167.20 |
| Atlanta, GA | $2,388 | $1,671.60 | $1,910.40 |
| Norfolk/Portsmouth, VA | $2,430 | $1,701.00 | $1,944.00 |
| Washington, DC Metro Area | $3,132 | $2,192.40 | $2,505.60 |
| Seattle, WA | $3,135 | $2,194.50 | $2,508.00 |
| Chicago, IL | $3,438 | $2,406.60 | $2,750.40 |
| Boston, MA | $4,791 | $3,353.70 | $3,832.80 |
| New York City, NY | $5,070 | $3,549.00 | $4,056.00 |
| Honolulu County, HI | $3,663 | $2,564.10 | $2,930.40 |
| Anchorage, AK | $2,874 | $2,011.80 | $2,299.20 |
Monthly, 100% tier unless noted. Areas are DTMO Military Housing Areas. Full time = 2026 BAH for an E-5 with dependents from DTMO's file. The 70% and 9-of-12 (80% pursuit) columns are our arithmetic. Every ZIP works in the calculator above. Sources: DTMO 2026 BAH · VA Post-9/11 rates 2026-27.
Effective Aug. 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027. Multiply by your tier if it's under 100%.
| Benefit | 2026-27 | 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Public school (in-state) | Net tuition and fees, in full | same |
| Private school | $30,908.34 | $29,920.95 |
| Foreign school | $30,908.34 | $29,920.95 |
| Non-college degree program | $30,908.34 | $29,920.95 |
| Flight training | $17,661.89 | $17,097.67 |
| Correspondence | $15,012.59 | $14,533.00 |
| Housing, online only (per month, max) | $1,198 | $1,169 |
| Housing, foreign school (per month, max) | $2,396 | $2,338 |
| Books and supplies (per year) | $1,000 ($41.67/credit) | $1,000 |
| Licensing / certification tests | up to $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Test fees: 1 month of entitlement per | $2,578.64 | $2,496.26 |
| Prep courses: 1 month of entitlement per | $2,508.33 | $2,428.20 |
The private-school cap rose 3.3% and the online housing cap 2.5%. VA's 2025-26 page tied the online and foreign caps to people who started using benefits on or after Jan. 1, 2018; its 2026-27 page doesn't make that distinction. Also: a one-time $500 rural relocation grant and tutoring up to $100 a month ($1,200 total). Sources: VA Post-9/11 rates 2026-27 · VA 2025-26 rates · VA Yellow Ribbon.
| Tier | Active-duty service after Sept. 10, 2001 |
|---|---|
| 100% | 36+ months (1,095+ days), a Purple Heart after 9/11, or 30+ continuous days with a service-connected disability discharge |
| 90% | 30 to 35 months (910 to 1,094 days) |
| 80% | 24 to 29 months (730 to 909 days) |
| 70% | 18 to 23 months (545 to 729 days) |
| 60% | 6 to 17 months (180 to 544 days) |
| 50% | 90 days to 5 months (90 to 179 days) |
The tier applies to tuition, housing and books. Source: VA Post-9/11 rates 2026-27.
Sources: VA Post-9/11 rates 2026-27 · DTMO 2026 BAH.
Effective Oct. 1, 2026 to Sept. 30, 2027, paid to you monthly (college and trade school rates are the same).
| Enrollment | Served 3+ years | Under 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Full time | $2,601.00 | $2,110.00 |
| 3/4 time | $1,950.75 | $1,582.50 |
| 1/2 time | $1,300.50 | $1,055.00 |
| Less than 1/2, more than 1/4 (up to tuition) | $1,300.50 | $1,055.00 |
| 1/4 time or less (up to tuition) | $650.25 | $527.50 |
| OJT / apprenticeship, months 1-6 | $1,950.75 | $1,582.50 |
| OJT / apprenticeship, months 7-12 | $1,430.55 | $1,160.50 |
| OJT / apprenticeship, after year 1 | $910.35 | $738.50 |
| 2025-26 full time (for comparison) | $2,518.00 | $2,043.00 |
Full-time MGIB-AD rose 3.3%. Kickers and the $600 Buy-Up add to these. Sources: VA MGIB-AD rates 2026-27 · VA MGIB-AD 2025-26.
VA's own pages point to DTMO for BAH by ZIP, and DTMO's 2026 file is what this calculator uses. In an Oct. 17, 2026 spot check, VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool showed the same rate as DTMO for 17 of 21 ZIPs it listed, but not for 43210 (Columbus, OH: $1,470 in the tool vs $1,875 from DTMO) and a few others. If your numbers differ, ask VA or your school certifying official before you budget. Sources: DTMO 2026 BAH · VA GI Bill Comparison Tool.
Facts and arithmetic only. VaultRubric isn't VA. Your Certificate of Eligibility and VA award letter decide your benefits; housing amounts here are estimates from published rates.
It's the 2026 BAH rate for an E-5 with dependents at the ZIP code of the campus where you take most classes, times your tier and rate of pursuit. Examples at 100% and full time: Nashville (37203) $2,268 a month, San Diego (92101) $3,975, Fort Bragg, NC (28307) $1,806, Columbus, OH $1,875. Online only: up to $1,198.
$30,908.34 a year in net tuition and fees for Aug. 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027, up 3.3% from $29,920.95. The same cap covers foreign and non-college degree programs; flight training is capped at $17,661.89 and correspondence at $15,012.59. Public schools: full in-state net tuition and fees.
Up to $1,198 a month (half the national average MHA), up from $1,169 in 2025-26, times your tier and rate of pursuit. Taking at least 1 class in person can qualify you for the higher campus-ZIP rate instead.
MGIB Active Duty pays $2,601.00 a month for full-time school if you served at least 3 continuous years (Oct. 1, 2026 to Sept. 30, 2027), up from $2,518.00. With less than 3 years it's $2,110.00 (was $2,043.00). Three-quarter time is $1,950.75 / $1,582.50 and half time $1,300.50 / $1,055.00.
VA's tiers: 30 to 35 months 90%, 24 to 29 months 80%, 18 to 23 months 70%, 6 to 17 months 60%, 90 days to 5 months 50%. You get 100% with 36+ months, a Purple Heart after Sept. 11, 2001, or 30+ continuous days and a discharge for a service-connected disability.
Up to $41.67 per credit hour for up to 24 credits a year, so up to $1,000 a year at 100%, prorated by your tier and paid at the start of each term. Non-college programs, apprenticeships and on-the-job training: up to $83 a month. Flight and correspondence training get no book money.
Only if your rate of pursuit is more than 50%. VA divides your credits by what your school calls full time and rounds to the nearest tenth: 9 of 12 credits is 80%, so you'd get 80% of the rate; 6 of 12 is 50%, which gets no housing allowance.
Estimates, not financial advice. Taxes, insurance, PMI and fees vary by lender, county and city; confirm with your lender, dealer and state agency before acting.