If you are receiving Post 9-11 Veteran benefits, you are allowed to use your GI Bill benefits for overseas study.
These funds can only be used to pay for tuition for an LMU Approved Study Abroad program or an approved Exchange or AJCU Affiliate program. Funds cannot be used for any fees specific to studying abroad (such as a program fee or room & board) unless the student is required to study abroad as part of their degree program.
GI Bill funds cannot be used to pay third-party study-abroad providers. Please contact the Study Abroad office for more information
Please refer to the VA Fact Sheet for more information regarding the Study Abroad Programs for GI. For your convenience it has been republished below:
Tuition and Fees, Housing, Books and Supplies under Post-9/11 GI Bill Study Abroad Programs
- Students must be enrolled in courses that will apply to their program.
- The programs at the “host” school in a foreign country must be approved.
- VA cannot pay any fees specific to studying abroad unless the student is required to study abroad as part of their program.
The home school assesses student home school’s tuition and fees plus additional fees or a comprehensive fee for studying aboard. Home school has as an arrangement with the host school or pays the host school.
- VA could pay the home school’s tuition, up to the in-state maximum allowed. (Room and board charges cannot be included in tuition costs).
- VA could provide a monthly housing allowance to the student if the student is enrolled more than ½-time that the student uses to help pay room and board costs.
- VA could provide books and supplies stipend.
- VA would pay no charges directly to the host school.
- VA could not pay for any fees specifically due to participation in the study abroad program unless study abroad was mandatory for the specific degree.
- For schools that charge a comprehensive fee that includes the home school’s tuition, they would have to break out the fee and report the charged tuition.
- VA cannot pay airfare.
- VA cannot pay amenities fees or host school fees.
The home school charges a fee or fees for participation in the study abroad program, or faculty-led fees. The student is required to pay the host school the tuition and course fees charged by the host school.
- VA could pay the tuition and fees, up to the national average in-state maximum tuition and fee charges (Room and board charges cannot be included in tuition costs). Fees we can pay are fees students that regularly attend the institution must pay—not fees specific to study abroad students.
- VA could provide a monthly housing allowance to the student if the student is enrolled more than ½-time that the student uses to help pay room and board costs.
- VA could provide books and supplies stipend.
- VA would pay tuition directly to host schools.
- VA could not pay for any fees the home school charges for study abroad fees.
- VA cannot pay airfare.
The student enrolls directly in the host school.
- VA could pay the tuition and fees, up to the national average in-state maximum tuition and fee charges (Room and board charges cannot be included in tuition costs). Fees we can pay are fees students that regularly attend the institution must pay—not fees specific to study abroad students.
- VA could provide a monthly housing allowance to the student if the student is enrolled more than ½-time that the student uses to help pay room and board costs.
- VA could provide books and supplies stipend.
- VA would pay tuition directly to host schools.
- VA could not pay for any fees the home school charges for study abroad fees.
- VA cannot pay airfare.
Third-party charges a fee to the student to participate in a study abroad program
- VA cannot pay a third party.
The student enrolls in a different US school than their home school, to participate in a study abroad program.
- The school the student enrolls in for the study abroad program would be treated as the “home school” and we would pay as above, depending on whom the student was paying the tuition and fees for the courses offered at the host school.
Note: Any amounts payable are reduced if the student is not eligible at the 100% payment tier. Example: If the student’s benefit payment tier is 40%, VA would pay 40% of the housing allowance, 40% of charged tuition and 40% of the books stipend.