Plan would boost GI Bill payouts for students in online summer classes (2024)

FAQs

Does the GI Bill pay you during the summer? ›

No. In 2011, Congress passed a law that prohibits VA from paying MHA during school breaks. This includes breaks between semesters, quarters, and terms. Be sure to plan ahead to cover your housing costs when school isn't in session.

So for undergraduates for Fall and Spring semesters you need AT LEAST 6.5 credits and Summer you need AT LEAST 4.5 credits to receive any BAH (graduate students need at least 5.5 in Fall/Spring and 3.5 for Summer) If you are below ½ time, you will NOT receive any BAH.

Summer Sessions

Graduate students must be enrolled in 9 hours for the full term session or 3 hours for both first and second sessions to be considered full time for the entire duration of the summer.

VA considers the following when calculating Rate of Pursuit (ROP) in the benefit estimation: Full time students are taking 12 credits per term.

For online learning

We base your monthly housing allowance on the national average. We'll pay you up to $1,054.50 (equal to half the national average for MHA). This is the maximum amount we'll pay you each month.

Nonetheless, whether you are studying during the regular semester, during the summer, or through an online program, the amount of money you can receive from your GI Bill benefits should be the same, provided that you are studying at a full time rate.

The Post 9/11 GI Bill pays for “36 months” of benefits, not a bachelor's degree. Whatever you can squeeze out in those 36 months is all up to you. If you don't have summer plans consider taking summer classes. They are shorter and you earn the same amount of credit for the same classes during normal semesters.

If you are enrolled in 6 credits, your rate of pursuit is . 50 and your will receive 50% of applicable BAH. NOTE: An undergrad student taking 12 credits is considered full time. A graduate student taking 9 credits is considered full time.

How Is the MHA Calculated for a Hybrid Course That Combines Online and Classroom Training? If any portion of a class requires students to physically attend class, then it receives the same housing allowance as an on-campus course. Click here for more information on BAH Rates.

Does summer count as a term for financial aid? ›

*Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU): Federal regulations allow students to receive a maximum of 12 full-time equivalent semesters of Pell Grant funding while they are completing their first undergraduate baccalaureate degree. Using a Pell Grant during summer counts against your lifetime eligibility.

with obtaining and maintaining suitable Employment. VRE is able to pay at the 100% Ch33 BAH rate for a Veteran that is approved for Ch31 services and meets Ch33 criteria, even if the Veteran does not qualify for the 100% rate under VA Education criteria for Ch33.

You can use the GI Bill for independent and distance learning online. If you're using your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits while taking only distance-learning courses, we'll pay a housing allowance based on 50% of the national average.

As mentioned above, it's possible to retake a failed class using the GI Bill to pay for it. The University of Utah policy page states, “If you failed a required course or did not receive the minimum grade,” the school considers a passing grade, “the VA will pay for you to repeat the course.”

We have heard this question asked many times and the answer may surprise you. The VA doesn't care if you fail a class, nope they won't come after you for the money you got. In fact they will let you retake that class as many times as you need to until you get a passing grade, and they will pay you each time.

You will be paid at the end of each month. If school starts September 6, that means your first payment should arrive on or around October 1. However, first-time users may see a delay in the arrival of this first payment.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill also pays a monthly housing allowance based on the ZIP code of the location of the school or campus where you attend the majority of your classes. This stipend averages $1,934.80 a month but can exceed $2,700 depending on where you go to school.

For the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, tuition and fee payments are released by the VA no sooner than 14 days from each class start date and then our billing department requests 2 weeks to process the payments to student accounts.

Benefit overview

If you've served on active duty after Sept. 10, 2001, you may qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33). Through the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you may be able to get 48 months of VA education benefits. Many applicants are eligible for only 36 months.