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$30K+

average unclaimed benefits per eligible veteran
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620

veterans surveyed to build this tool
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100%

free — no account, no personal information collected

WHAT THE CALCULATOR DOES

Built for the Reality Veterans Face

We didn’t build a generic financial aid estimator. We built something specifically for the complexity of military education benefits.

  • GI Bill chapter clarity

    Chapter 30, 33, 35 — each has different rules, different rates, and different eligibility clocks. The calculator walks you through which chapter applies to your situation and what it actually covers.

  • Yellow Ribbon lookup

    Yellow Ribbon agreements are school-specific and change annually. The tool connects to current VA and school data so you see real numbers — not estimates — for your target institution

  • Funding gap, plain and simple

    After accounting for all benefits, the calculator shows your remaining cost clearly. If additional financing is the right next step, you'll know exactly how much — and why.

  • Built with veteran input

    We interviewed active-duty servicemembers, veterans mid-degree, and university military advisors before writing a single line of code. Their experiences shaped every question the tool asks.

  • Built for today’s market

    Federal graduate loan availability is changing. Knowing your VA benefits now — before enrollment decisions — is more important than it's ever been. This tool helps you plan ahead, not react.

how it works

Three Steps to a Complete Picture

The calculator takes about four minutes. No registration, no waiting.

Tell Us About Your Service

Enter your branch, discharge status, active-duty time, and any applicable reservist or Guard service. The calculator uses this to determine which benefits chapters apply to you specifically.

Select Your School and Program

Choose from a searchable database of accredited institutions. The tool pulls real-time Yellow Ribbon data and tuition costs for each school, so your numbers are school-specific — not national averages.

Get Your Personalized Summary

See every benefit you've earned, what it covers at your chosen school, and your remaining funding gap — if any. If financing makes sense, your credit union partner is right there to help you take the next step.
Launch the Calculator

veteran voices

Hear Directly From Those Who Served

"I spent three semesters paying out of pocket before anyone told me Yellow Ribbon could cover the gap at my school. That's money I'll never get back. A tool like this before I enrolled would have changed everything."

~Fabio, Marine Corps Veteran, Graduate Student

"The hardest part isn't the coursework. It's figuring out the financial maze. Every veteran I know who went back to school had some version of the same story — benefits they qualified for that nobody explained. Awareness is the gap."

~Stephen, Marine Corps Veteran, Working Professional

"In our office, we see hundreds of veteran students every year who have no idea what they're entitled to. They come in after they've already committed to a loan. A self-serve tool that demystifies this before enrollment is exactly what this population needs."

~Matthew, Executive Director, Military & Veterans' Services

    offered through your credit union

    Why Your Credit Union is Bringing You This Tool

    The Veterans Education Benefits Calculator is made available by select credit unions who believe their members who served deserve better financial guidance.

    • Your credit union covers the cost — the calculator is completely free to you as a member
    • No personal data is stored or shared — the tool never collects your SSN, email, or financial records
    • If a private student loan is the right fit after you've maximized your benefits, your credit union can offer competitive rates — but there's no pressure to borrow
    • Built in partnership with LendKey's veteran education lending initiative and informed by primary research with hundreds of veterans
    "We've served military families for decades. Offering a tool that helps veterans understand their education benefits before they make major financial decisions is simply the right thing to do — and the kind of member service we've always stood for."
    ~ Credit Union Executive Partner

    Frequently Asked Questions About the Veterans Education Benefits Calculator

    Launch the Calculator

    Veterans Education Benefits Calculator is provided for informational purposes only. Results are estimates based on publicly available VA data and school-reported Yellow Ribbon agreements. Consult your school's veterans services office and the VA directly to confirm your eligibility. © LendKey Technologies. No personally identifiable information is collected or stored by this tool.