Missouri GI Bill Tuition and Residency Requirements
Missouri GI Bill Tuition Rates
Major changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2011 affect the way tuition benefits are calculated. Military personnel attending public schools in Missouri are only eligible to receive benefits equal to the in-state student tuition rate, so understanding how Missouri determines residency--and what exemptions it offers to military personnel--is an important step to making sure you maximize your GI Bill tuition benefits.
Missouri Residency Guidelines and Military Servicemembers
Although most civilians must have lived in Missouri for 12 months prior to enrollment to receive in-state tuition rates, the state makes a number of exceptions for military personnel that allow them to receive in-state tuition at Missouri public colleges.
Under the Missouri Returning Heroes' Education Act, public colleges and universities in the state cannot charge more than $50.00 per credit hour for courses that are taken as part of an certificate or undergraduate degree program. That's a significant savings over the $194.00 charged at Missouri State University, for example. To be eligible, you must have served in combat after September 11, 2001, received an honorable discharge and been a Missouri resident when you entered the military, even if your state of residency has since changed.
Additionally, federal law stipulates that all active-duty military personnel stationed in Missouri, along with their spouses and dependent children, are considered state residents for tuition purposes as long as they have been stationed in the state for more than 30 days.
How to Apply for Missouri State Residency
It's your responsibility to confirm your military status in order to qualify for in-state tuition and other benefits in Missouri. Veterans may need to supply a copy of the military Leave and Earnings Statement, and active-duty members may need to submit a copy of their military orders as well as a Leave and Earnings Statement along with their application for residency.
Contact the registrar at your preferred school for information on deadlines and specific requirements.
Additional Missouri education benefits
The state also offers a Vietnam Veterans Survivor Act that provides a tuition waiver to the children and spouses of Vietnam Veterans who served between 1961 and 1972 and who died due to exposure to toxic chemicals during their service. A general Wartime Veteran's Survivor Grant also offers a tuition waiver to spouses and children of military personnel killed or disabled due to combat. More detailed eligibility requirements for these state grants are available from the Missouri Department of Higher Education.
GIBill.com has done its best to ensure that the above information is accurate. However, GIBill.com cannot guarantee its accuracy and encourages you to check with your school for its residency requirements to qualify for in-state tuition.
This list does not include all schools that accept GI Bill funding. For a full list of schools by state, click here.
Campus Schools
As the largest private university in North America, University of Phoenix has more than 200 locations, and is available online in most countries around the world. Whether you're seeking a college degree at an associate's, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral level, we can help you reach your academic goal—and sooner than you might think.
We work closely with industry leaders to build market-driven degree programs. This ensures DeVry University graduates from our five distinguished colleges of study, as well as DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management, are prepared to meet the challenges of today’s global marketplace.
Your passion for fashion and design comes to life at The Art Institutes. Real-world experience and career services will prepare you for entry-level employment in the creative arts.
Get the right foundation for your future with a degree from Strayer University. Evening, weekend and online classes are all available to meet the needs of busy adults.
Learn the way to prepare for a culinary career with Le Cordon Bleu programs in Culinary Arts, Patisserie and Baking, or Hospitality & Restaurant Management.
Bring Your Fire to the Plate. Le Cordon Bleu. Learn the Way.
The above schools represent only a portion of the schools that accept the GI Bill. Download a PDF of the full list of schools here: GI Bill Schools
