The National Center for Education Statistics’ recent brief profiled veterans’ education benefits in the 2015-16 academic year. Military service members, including active duty, veterans, National Guard, and reserves, are eligible for financial aid for postsecondary or technical education through the Montgomery GI Bill, and the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (the Post-9/11 GI Bill). This aid can be used towards tuition and fees, housing, books, and supplies.
Among the findings:
- The number of those receiving veterans’ education benefits increased after the passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill to a high of 1,091,044 in 2013, but has since decreased to 893,725 in 2018.
- In 2015 dollars, the total amount spent on veterans’ education benefits increased from $12.1 billion in the 2010-11 academic year to $14.3 billion in the 2015-16 academic year.
- In the 2015-16 academic year, 43% of military undergraduate students and 36% of military graduate students received veterans’ education benefits.
- For comparison, in the 2010-11 academic year, 55% of military undergraduate students and 46% of military graduate students received veterans’ education benefits.
- In the 2015-16 academic year, there were 1,192,700 undergraduate military students, comprising 6.1% of all undergraduate students.
- 875,000 of these military students are veterans. The remainder are active duty, National Guard, or reserves.
- In the 2015-16 academic year, there were 241,000 graduate military students, comprising 6.7% of all graduate students.
- 181,800 of these military students are veterans. The remainder are active duty, National Guard, or reserves.
- The average veterans’ education benefits for military undergraduate students is $15,100 compared to $16,200 for military graduate students.
- Military undergraduate recipients of veterans’ education benefits skew male (78% of recipients compared to 73% of military undergraduate non-recipients) and white (60% of recipients compared to 55% of military undergraduate non-recipients).
- Fifty-two percent of military undergraduate recipients and 46% of military graduate recipients attend full-time, compared to 29% of military undergraduate non-recipients and 34% of military graduate non-recipients.
- Among military undergraduate recipients: 13% were under the age of 23; 39% were between 24 and 29 years of age; 35% were between 30 and 39 years of age; and 13% were over the age of 40.
- Among military graduate recipients: 18% were between 24 and 29 years of age; 48% were between 30 and 39 years of age; and 34% were over the age of 40.
- Sixty percent of military undergraduate recipients were white, 16% were black, 14% were Hispanic, and 3% were Asian.
- Fifty-four percent of military graduate recipients were white, 22% were black, 13% were Hispanic, and 5% were Asian.
- Twenty-six percent of military undergraduate recipients and 16% of military graduate recipients reported having a disability.
- Military undergraduate recipients are more likely to attend a for-profit institution (19%) than military undergraduate non-recipients (14%) and attend more than one institution (15%) than non-recipients (9%).
- 33% of military undergraduate recipients attend a public two-year institution, compared to 41% of military undergraduate non-recipients.
- Military graduate recipients are more likely to attend a for-profit institution (23%) than military graduate non-recipients (17%) and to attend more than one institution (10%) than military graduate non-recipients (6%).
