A GI Bill® app for military families that shows its work.
College Tool is a free-to-start app that does the GI Bill® and VA education-benefit math for military families: the decisions that actually trip families up, like in-state versus out-of-state, transferring benefits to a child or keeping them, and the order to use them, which can change the total by thousands.
Free to start. A one-time purchase unlocks the full phase approach and the whole country. See pricing.
See it in action
The tour has its own page, with everything it says written out: the College Tool app tour.
What the app does for a family
The order that gets the most
If you hold more than one benefit, the sequence changes the total, often by thousands. The app maps it.
Real housing math
It runs the housing allowance off the school’s zip code, on currently published rates, across 5,600-plus VA-approved schools.
Everything in one plan
Post-9/11 GI Bill®, Chapter 35 DEA, the Fry Scholarship, and Yellow Ribbon, plus transferred months and scholarships, fit into one plan.
Find the school
Browse any state, or type a school, a city, or the short name families actually use: FSU, UGA, Ole Miss. Each one carries its housing figure and its Yellow Ribbon participation.
It shows its work
The rates, rules, and figures in College Tool link to their official VA sources, so a family can check the math themselves rather than take a number on faith.
The app is a planning tool. It is not official. Every number it produces is an estimate based on currently published rates; VA data can be wrong or out of date, and the official published source always governs over our copy of it. The output is a starting point for the conversation with a VA representative, a VSO or a School Certifying Official, never the final word.
What it looks like
Early reviews
From the App Store and Google Play. Names removed.
Puts all of my GI Bill information in one convenient location. It helped me efficiently construct a plan so I can use all my benefits in the best manner. Extremely affordable as well. Already forwarded it to my friends that are transitioning out of the service.
The layout is clean, it’s easy to navigate, and everything feels well thought out. I love what the team is trying to build.
Really well thought out. My boys will definitely benefit from this information.
More reviews on the App Store and Google Play.
We don’t want your data. The app doesn’t even need your name.
No account. No tracking. What you type stays on your phone unless you share it. The app is built to run your planning on your own device.
No profile, no sign-up
No account, no login. The name on your printed plan is optional: your name, a call sign, your initials, or nothing.
No location, mic, or camera
We don’t ask for them, because we don’t need them.
No ads, nothing sold
We don’t sell anything about you, and the app carries no ads.
One purchase
The only thing you can buy is the $4.99 one-time unlock of the full planner.
That purchase is handled by the Apple App Store or Google Play; we receive only an anonymous record that it was made, never your identity. Full detail is in our Privacy Policy.
Common questions about the GI Bill app
Is there a free GI Bill app?
Yes. College Tool is free to start, with no account, and it is not a trial. The free tier covers a set of states and includes the GI Bill and Fry Scholarship math, transferred GI Bill benefits, your own scholarships, and the cost-of-living estimator, with the rates linked to their official VA sources. A one-time purchase unlocks the full phase approach, every state, the top overseas options, and Chapter 35 (DEA) benefits.
What does a GI Bill app do?
It shows how a family’s VA education benefits fit into one plan and the order to use them. College Tool covers the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, Chapter 35 DEA, the Fry Scholarship, and the Yellow Ribbon Program, with per-school housing estimates, and links the figures to their official VA sources.
How do I find my school’s GI Bill housing allowance?
College Tool searches VA-approved schools by state, by name, by city, or by the short name families actually use, so typing UGA finds the University of Georgia. Each school in the list carries its monthly housing figure, whether it takes part in the Yellow Ribbon Program, and any VA caution flag, with a link through to that school on the VA Comparison Tool. The housing figure runs off the school’s zip code, on currently published rates. Search is free in the free states, and the one-time purchase covers the rest.
What is the best GI Bill app for a military family?
Look for one that shows its work: an app that links the rates and rules to their official VA sources so you can check them yourself, rather than a black box. College Tool is built to that standard. Whether it is the best is a call for families and independent reviewers to make, not one to self-assign.
Is College Tool affiliated with the VA?
No. It is an independent planning tool from We Got You 1776, LLC, not affiliated with or endorsed by the VA or the Department of Defense.
Where it came from
It was built from a real need: a military family doing this math by hand at the kitchen table.
University Veterans offices, JROTC instructors and School Certifying Officials have written back to say The Order Matters was useful, and public libraries in Florida and Texas carry it. See who.