GI Bill Housing Allowance: Key Facts and Eligibility

by
GI Bill Housing Allowance

For full-time students participating in an online institution, school, or distance-learning program, the Post-9/11 GI Bill housing allowance amount is $1,177.50 which will be effective from Aug. 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025. Calculate your GI Bill Housing Allowance using the calculator.

GI Bill Housing Allowance

Benefits include a monthly housing allowance (MHA) for students who come from post-9/11 and the Forever GI Bill. Though often referred to as a distinct measure, the Forever GI measure is a set of modifications to the Post-9/11 GI Bill and not a different educational program.

Your training or instructional time determines your housing allowance as well; thus, you must be training at more than half-time to get the monthly allowance. Three elements guide the VA in determining your MHA:

  • Your GI Bill from after 9/11 qualifies. (Based on the period you served), and
  • Your semester’s course load that is, the amount credit hours you are registered in and
  • Whether you are online or in-person

Based on the zip code of the institution or campus where most of your courses are located, the Post-9/11 GI Bill also provides a monthly housing allowance. Payments for housing allowance depend on your active-duty service after Sept. 10, 2001.

GI Bill Housing Allowance Payment Rate Exceptions

MHA payments vary; the following stated elements affect the overall amount you might be qualified for every month. Should you be enrolled in online-only courses, you still qualify for an MHA; the only exception is that it will be based on the national housing allowance average. 

Each month the VA will pay up to $1,777.50 half the national average for MHA which is equivalent to Sometimes not being eligible for any monthly housing allowance:

  • Less than half time spent in college (less than seven credit hours)
  • Active duty trainee, or spouse of a service member

Like with online-only schooling, the VA will base your MHA on the national average if you are enrolled at a foreign institution in a college. An MHA payment will pay you up to $2,355.00 per month. You will get an E-5 with dependents to pay under the overseas housing allowance (OHA) rate for the location of the school (should you be attending in person).

How is the Housing Allowance Calculated?

For an E-5 service member with dependents, your housing allowance amount mostly relies on the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH). Still, numerous important elements affect your payout:

  • The basis of the housing allowance is the cost of living in the zip code your school is in. If you attend a school in a high-cost location, like San Francisco or New York City, your housing allowance will be larger than if you attend a school in a more rural or low-cost place.
  • This relates to your attendance in either full-time or part-time mode of instruction. Depending on your institution, you must be registered at least 12 credits each semester or quarter to get the full housing allowance. The housing allowance is less for part-time students in line with the credit count they are claiming. If you are enrolled in 75% of a full course load, for example, you will get 75% of the housing allowance.
  • Should you be personally attending courses, your school’s location will determine the whole living allowance. Students enrolled in purely online courses, however, are qualified for half of the national average reduced housing allowance. This may be a big difference, hence, if you want to enroll in online courses alone, you should give this some thought.
  • Should your institution participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, it might pay extra tuition fees above the GI Bill’s maximum and sometimes affect your housing allowance as well. Attending an out-of-state public school or a private school will make this program very helpful.

Who is eligible for the GI Bill Housing Allowance?

Several factors define your eligibility for the GI Bill Housing Allowance, chief among them your duration of active-duty service. You have to have served at least 90 days of active service after September 10, 2001, to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and related housing allowance. 

Additionally eligible are veterans discharged for a service-connected disability. Your rate of pursuit determines the level of housing allowance you qualify for. 

Students enrolling full-time for example are qualified for the full housing allowance. The housing allowance will be adjusted based on your part-time attendance at school. Veterans who complete courses online may also be subject to a lower allowance.

GI Bill BAH, MHA Housing Allowance 

The Department of Veterans Affairs provides MHA; the DoD provides BAH as a housing benefit. Both utilize the same BAH rate tables even if eligibility and calculations differ.

  • For BAH, the principal duty station is the ZIP code. For MHA, the student shows up for most of their classes from the ZIP code.
  • BAH is for active-duty service members; MHA is for GI Bill students including veterans, spouses not married to a currently serving service member or children.
  • Active-duty military personnel and spouses of active-duty service members cannot receive MHA if they already have BAH. Pay grade, location, and dependent status all contribute to deciding BAH.

Leave a Comment