Have You Used the GI Bill® Comparison Tool?

If you find navigating your educational benefits challenging or have questions about your Post-9/11 GI Bill®, you are not alone. You don't have to reinvent the wheel; the information you need is already available. You just have to find it. One of those tools is the G.I. Bill®️ Comparison Tool, offered on the Department of Veteran Affairs website.

If you're not sure what school you want to attend or even what program may be the best for you, getting additional information on the program and institution will be helpful. And, just as you'd compare refrigerators online before you purchase, you can use this comparison tool to compare up to three schools.  

Related: 7 Questions Veterans Should Ask When Choosing a School

The areas you can compare include accreditation, their military-affiliated student population, and your estimated benefits. You can also view feedback from other students about the school and the programs. Let's look at some of these comparable features.

6 Things the GI Bill Comparison Tool Explains

Accreditation

Before you even consider attending a school, you need to make sure they are accredited, which means they meet an acceptable quality level. This accreditation label does matter if you ever consider transferring to another school. Accreditation is done regionally or nationally, with no Department of Education preference as to which is better.

G.I. Bill®️ Students

The comparison tool shows how many people attend this school under the GI Bill. The total includes all kinds of military-affiliated students using the benefits from any GI Bill program.

Institution Details

This section of the comparison tool is beneficial if you know what kind of school you are looking for. It gives you the geographic location and a description of that area. Is it a city or rural area? The size of the school is also listed here, showing how many full-time equivalent students are and ranges from very small (less than 500 students) or very large (more than 10,000 students).

You can also see if a school is public or private, affecting programs and costs. One other thing you'll see in this section is if the school has a specialized mission. For example, is this a single-gender school, do they have a religious affiliation, or are they a Historically Black college or university?

Farther down in the comparison, you'll see if the school offers priority enrollment, which means the school allows veterans to enroll in courses before other students.

Payment Information

The comparison tool will show the average tuition and fees for an undergraduate program student. It also shows you what the GI Bill program will pay to the school and any out-of-pocket expenses you may be responsible for. The payment section will also show you what payments you can expect to see in your bank account. These include the monthly housing allowance -- based on your location and a book stipend for up to $83 a month if you are eligible.

Red Flags

The comparison tool even shows you potential red flags, information that comes either from students themselves, the Department of Defense, or the Department of Education. This cautionary information shows complaints submitted to the VA from students. It also indicates any increased scrutiny that government departments have applied.

Veteran Information

Is this school veteran-friendly or conscious of veterans' needs? This section will give you some more information. It will show if they are a Yellow Ribbon school and if they have a student-led veteran group on campus. You'll also be able to see the length of their VET-TEC programs, if applicable and if they give credit for military training.

This section also shows if the school agrees to adhere to the listed Principles of Excellence, applicable to schools receiving federal funding. Another part of this section indicates if the school has stated support for the "8 Keys to Veterans’ Success." These steps can help veterans and service members in their transition to education.

All of this information, and more, is available for students to view and compare with the GI Bill Comparison Tool.

Ready to learn more about navigating the higher education system as a veteran? Start here.