Rate of Pursuit for Monthly Stipend
Full time status for BAH purposes is controlled by something the VA calls "rate of pursuit," which is based on how many credits you take and the length of the semester. You must be at 51% or greater to receive any BAH.
The following is a list of how many hours you need to take to be full time:
- Full term, 15 weeks, 12 hours
- A or B Term, 6 weeks, 4 hours
- 12-week Term, 9 hours
The VA calculates the amount of monetary entitlement based on the amount of credits taken during a standard semester, defined by the VA as 15-18 weeks in length.
Standard semester calculation (15-18 weeks):
- 3 credits per semester is less than half-time
- 6 credits per semester is half-time
- 7 credits per semester is more than half-time
- 12 credits per semester is full-time
Undergraduate semesters may run shorter than a standard semester; therefore, the following formula can be used to determine the entitlement eligibility for courses taken:
18 x the number of credits taken, divided by the length of the semester, measured in weeks.
18 x 4=72. 72/6=12
Example Explained:
You have registered for one, 4-credit course, for a total of 4 credits, which run for 6 weeks.
18 x 4 (# of credits) = 72.
Divide 72 by 6 (# of weeks)
Equals 12 (credit hour equivalent in full semester).
Using the above example, the VA would consider 4 undergraduate credit hours at to be equivalent to 12 credits, or full-time attendance, for that semester.
Note that the above only applies to undergraduate courses, as graduate credit differs greatly.