Free military tuition colleges in Pittsburgh?

I'll be a high school senior from Pittsburgh next year. My dad served in the military, and I've heard there might be colleges in Pittsburgh offering free tuition for military kids. Any truth to that? If so, how can I avail of these benefits?

It's great to see that you're exploring different ways to cover your college tuition using military benefits. Often, these benefits come through the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which is a government program that provides education benefits to military service members and their dependents.

Specifically, in Pittsburgh, there isn't a college that explicitly offers free tuition to veterans' dependents. However, if your father transferred his Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to you, they can be used at any university, including those in Pittsburgh like Carnegie Mellon University or the University of Pittsburgh.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill covers tuition and fees, a monthly housing allowance, and a stipend for textbooks and supplies, for up to 36 months. For less expensive colleges, this might be enough to cover your total cost of attendance. If the tuition fee at your chosen college exceeds this limit, you may be eligible for additional support through the Yellow Ribbon Program, which is a program that makes additional funds available for your education program without an additional charge to your GI Bill entitlement.

In order to use the benefits, you need to apply through the VA’s website. Once you receive your Certificate of Eligibility from the VA, you can submit that to your chosen university's VA Certifying Official who will then apply the benefits to your account.

Lastly, remember that eligibility is based on your father's service record. Unless he has officially transferred his benefits to you while still in service, it can't be done post-retirement or post-discharge. Also, these benefits are not lifelong and generally expire 15 years after your parent's retirement or discharge from active duty.