By the Numbers: 3 February 2020

By the Numbers: 3 February 2020

$94 billion
The total amount of benefits provided to Veterans by the Post-9/11 GI Bill -- which "pays tuition, housing, and other costs for veterans pursuing higher education" -- since 2009, according to 2019 testimony from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) -- POST-9/11 GI BILL: Veterans Affected by School Closures.

This testimony examines which schools are receiving the most Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition payments, how their students are faring, and how school closures affect veterans.

  • 50 schools received over 30% of all tuition payments—$1.4 billion—and enrolled over 190,000 veterans
  • Within those 50, graduation rates varied from 73% at public schools to 22% at for-profits
  • Closures are rare but can create hardships for thousands of veterans and significant costs for taxpayers