Payment, Refund, and Deferment Information

Training Time

Payment rates are affected by the start and end dates of enrollment and the number of qualifying units for which you are enrolled.  

Rate of Pursuit 

The VA calculates rate of pursuit by dividing the number of credits being pursued by the number of credits considered to be full-time by the school. The resulting percentage (rounded to the nearest multiple of 10) is the student’s rate of pursuit.

For example, full-time for an undergraduate student at the University of Arizona during a 16 week session term is 12 credits. Therefore, the rate of pursuit for:

• 6 credits is 50% (6 ÷ 12 = 50%)
• 7 credits is 60% (7 ÷ 12 = 58% rounded up to 60%)

Post-9/11 and Fry Scholarship: Rate of pursuit determines whether a student receives or doesn't receive the housing allowance. To be eligible for the housing allowance, rate of pursuit must be 60% or higher. If rate of pursuit is less than 60%, then the student doesn't receive any housing allowance. (Active-duty personnel receiving Chapter 33 benefits or a spouse of an active-duty personnel receiving Transfer of Entitlement (TOE) benefits are not eligible for the housing allowance.)

The VA determines your rate for Basic Allowance for Housing based on the location of the school administering your degree program (Tucson, Phoenix, or Sierra Vista). This may be different from where you live or attend classes.

Students who are enrolled only in online learning courses will be eligible for a monthly housing allowance equal to 50% of the national average of all Basic Allowances for Housing.

Regular and Partial Payments 

You will receive payments for each prior month of attendance. For example, you would receive a payment in March for attendance during the month of February. Please note that under the following circumstances, you may receive only a partial payment: 

• If you withdraw from a class and it affects your overall training time, you will be paid at your new training time rate.  
• If you attend classes for less than a full month, such as at the beginning or end of a semester, your payment for that month will be prorated based on the number of days you attended.  

If you are enrolled in non-standard dated courses (ex. 5wk or 7wk sessions) that have different start and end dates than a standard term. 

Tuition Deferments

If you are using Post 9/11 GI-Bill (Chapter 33) benefits you will NOT need a tuition deferment. Once you have submitted your veteran  benefit certification request through your UAccess Student Center, a Pending Military Benefit code will be put on your account notifying the UA Bursar office that the VA will be sending payments for your tuition and fee charges. This code will also prevent late fees from being added to your tuition and fee charges. Please be aware that you must submit your veteran benefit certification request EVERY semester for the code to be applied to your account.

• If you are using Dependents Educational Assistance (Chapter 35), Montgomery GI-Bill Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606), or Montgomery GI-Bill (Chapter 30), you may qualify for a deferred payment of tuition and fees. When you submit your veteran benefit certification request through your UAccess Student Center, you must request a tuition deferment during Step 3. The Military-Connected Benefits and Certifications office will verify that you are eligible for a tuition deferment and email a promissory note to your UA email account prior to the 1st day of the term. The promissory note must be taken to the UA Bursar office located at the University Services Building, Room 104 and signed at their office. If you qualify for the tuition deferment, you will have until the last day of classes to pay your tuition and fees. You must pay off your debt by the last day of classes or you will be charged late fees and a hold will be placed on your account. Please be aware that you must submit your veteran benefit certification request each semester to request a tuition deferment.

  Tuition deferment paperwork must be submitted to the Bursar's Office by the end of the business day on the first day of classes for each semester. To avoid late charges, a deferment must be applied to your account by the payment due date for each semester. For more information about due dates and Bursar’s Office procedures for Veteran Deferments, please visit the Bursar’s Office Page on Veteran Deferments.

Reducing Credit Hours

The VA may request funds for tuition, housing and supplies be returned to them for classes that you withdraw or drop during the semester. Because there are situations beyond your control (mitigating circumstances) that may cause you to drop a class, it is very important to contact your School Certifying Official (SCO) before you reduce your credit hours so that we can report any mitigating circumstances and you understand the financial impact of dropping a class.  

If You Receive a Failing Grade

If you fail a class, the VA considers that to be a punitive grade. A punitive grade doesn't count as earned credit, but it is used in determining your progress towards graduation and your GPA. Since this grade counts towards your graduation progress you are not required to pay back GI Bill® money for that class. You also may be able to receive GI Bill® funds to retake the class as a Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO). 

To continue receiving GI Bill® and other VA benefits, you must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA and complete 67% of the courses you attempted within the semester. 

Grade Types Eligible for Benefits 

The VA offers education benefits for regular grades (A, B, C, D, E), alternative grades (S, P, F), Medical grades (H, HP, P, F). The VA will also cover I or incomplete grades (for undergraduates only). A grade of Withdrawal (W) may require a return of VA benefit funds if the class was not dropped due to approved mitigating circumstances.

The VA will not pay for Audit (O) grades or fees associated with earning credit or grade through special examination for a CR grade.

If you are using Post 9/11 benefits, and received grades the VA will not cover, you may be responsible for all or a portion of the tuition payment, and you may owe some of the Monthly Housing Allowance back. 

Program Types Eligible for Benefits

Classes taken by Non Degree Seeking (NDS) undergraduate or graduate students are usually not covered under the GI Bill® or Tuition Assistance. Students seeking class certification as a NDS student should make an appointment with a MCBC school certifying official to review their benefit request. 

Students who are in an undergraduate, degree-seeking program may take approximately two years (60 units) of coursework before declaring a major. This is generally the timeframe to fulfill general education requirements. After this period, benefits can only be used to achieve their declared major.