Past rates: 2023-24 STEM Scholarship

We’ll send your tuition and fees directly to your school or training program.

The amounts listed here are the maximum amounts we’ll pay this academic year for each type of school or training program. If you’re eligible for a percentage of the full benefit, multiply the amount by your percentage. This will give you the maximum amount we’ll pay this academic year.

Find out the full rate based on what type of school or training program you’re attending:

• Public institution of higher learning (like a state university or community college): We’ll pay the net tuition and mandatory fees up to $30,000. You may be able to get in-state tuition rates at a public school even if you haven’t lived in the state where the school is located.
  Learn more about in-state tuition rates
• Private institution of higher learning: We’ll pay the net tuition and mandatory fees up to $27,120.05. 
• Foreign institution of higher learning (a college or university, whether public or private, based in a country outside the U.S.): We’ll pay the net tuition and mandatory fees up to $27,120.05 in U.S. dollars.

You may be eligible for money to help pay for your housing while you’re studying. If you’re eligible for monthly housing allowance (MHA), we’ll pay you this allowance at the end of each month. 

We’ll pay you a percentage of the full MHA (called a “prorated payment”) based on these 2 factors:

• The percentage of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits you’re eligible for, and
• How many credits or clock hours you’re pursuing

You’re not eligible for an MHA payment if any of these are true: 

• You’re on active duty, or
• You’re a spouse using transferred benefits while the Veteran is on active duty, or
• You’re in school half time or less than half time, or
• You’re taking correspondence training or flight training, or
• You’re on break from school

If you’re taking in-person courses in the U.S. 

We base your MHA on the monthly military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates for an E-5 with dependents. This is called the resident MHA. We use the 2023 rates to calculate the MHA you get between August 1, 2023, and July 31, 2024.

You can use the Defense Department (DOD) lookup tool on the Defense Travel Management Office website to find out how much money you may be eligible to receive for housing. You’ll need the zip code for your school to get started. 

Find your maximum monthly housing allowance on the Defense Travel Management Office website

Find out how we determine your MHA

If you’re taking online-only courses

We base your MHA on the national average. 

We’ll pay you up to $1,054.50 (equal to half the national average for MHA). This is the maximum amount we’ll pay you each month.

Note: If you take at least one class in person while taking other online learning classes, you may be eligible for the higher resident MHA.

If you’re taking courses at a foreign school

We base your MHA on the national average. 

We’ll pay you up to $2,109.00 (equal to the national average for MHA). This is the maximum amount we’ll pay you each month.

You may be eligible for up to $1,000 each academic year for books and supplies. We base your payment on how many courses you’re enrolled in for the year and the percentage of benefits you’re eligible for.

We’ll pay this money to you at the beginning of each term.

If you’re enrolled in a school or professional training program, you may be eligible to earn extra money through a part-time job related to VA work. 

Learn more about work study