How many credits do I need to be full time?
The number of credits you need to be full time for VA education benefits will be based on how long the course/term is, your benefit type, and your degree level.
Please note that if you are enrolled at exactly half-time or less than half-time, you are not eligible to receive your monthly housing allowance (MHA/BAH).
The VA converts credit earned during nonstandard quarters or semesters (i.e. summer terms) to equivalent credit hours. The VA makes the conversion, not schools. Schools must report actual credit. The formula for converting quarters or semesters to credit equivalents is the same, except for the multiplier. The formulas are: Semester: Credit × 18 ÷ weeks = credit hour equivalents. 4 semester credits earned in 4 weeks is the equivalent of 18 credits earned during a standard semester (4 × 18 ÷ 4 = 18) and will pay full-time for 4 weeks.
The VA pays education benefits for nonstandard enrollment periods based on credit equivalents. Remember, schools report actual number of credits; VA makes the conversion. When enrollment periods overlap, credit hour equivalents for the period of overlap are combined.
Undergraduate Programs
The Training Time (TT) chart below is what VA uses to determine full-time status for undergraduate programs under Chapters 30, 35, and 1606. Since Pitt considers 12 credits to be full-time, the Training Time chart below would also be accurate for Rate of Pursuit (RoP).
The main difference is that TT is federally codified (38 CFR §21.4270) and RoP is based on the schools catalog and then rounded to the nearest 10%.
Graduate Programs
Graduate Training Time and Rate of Pursuit are always provided by the school. However, since we do not have an Individually Defined Full-Time Modifier (IDM) the charts below will differ slightly. The one above applies to Chapter 33 benefits and is provided by VA. Depending on the length of the course/term, a number from the row highlighted in yellow will be provided to VA.
For example, if it is a 13 week term, we will enter a 6 in the Full-Time Modifier (FTM) box on your certification, which only applies to graduate programs. This means that in a 13 week course/term, you will only need 6 credits to be considered full-time for VA payment purposes.
For Chapters 30, 35, and 1606, we instead report 1/4 time, less than 1/2 time, 1/2 time, 3/4 time, or full-time.
Now that I know my full-time status, how do I know how much my stipend is or what is covered?
That will be determined by your benefit type. Since rates change each year, below are links to the appropriate VA rate pages:
Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (Chapter 30) rates
Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) Subsistence Allowance rates
Chapter 35 rates for survivors and dependents