Housing Stipend
A monthly housing allowance is paid directly to the student at the beginning of each month for the previous month. The amount paid is based on the Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 with dependents at the location of the school (active duty personnel and spouses of active duty personnel are not eligible for the housing allowance).
NEW Requirement to Verify Enrollment
As of December 2022, students using Post-9/11 GI® Bill benefits (Chapter 33) have to verify their enrollment with the VA each month to receive their Monthly Housing Allowance. You can verify enrollment with the VA via text or phone call. for housing benefits at this link: https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/isaksonroe/verification_of_enrollment.as…;
Sign up and learn how to verify enrollment
Rate of Pursuit and the Housing Allowance
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 does not receive the housing allowance. To be eligible for the housing allowance, rate of pursuit must be 60% or more. If rate of pursuit is less than 60%, then the student does not receive any housing allowance. (Active-duty personnel receiving Chapter 33 benefits or spouses of active-duty personnel receiving Transfer of Entitlement (TOE) benefits are not eligible for the housing allowance.) 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.
Book Stipend
As part of the Post 9/11 GI® Bill, a lump sum to assist with book and class supplies will be paid directly to the student at the beginning of each semester. This stipend is requested during on certification request form in UAccess Student Center. The level of benefits is determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs and is based on the rate of pursuit for each day of the term. Rate of pursuit is determined by the start and end dates of each course and the number of units for which you are enrolled.
At the 100% benefit level it pays $41.67 per credit certified, up to 24 credits for the academic year (08/01/XX to 07/31/XX).
If benefit level is less than 100%, the amount paid to the student is based on percentage. For example, at the 90% benefit level, the amount paid per credit certified is $37.50 ($41.67 x 90%) for up to 24 credits for the academic year.
University staff do not have access to your detailed benefit information. Questions about book stipend payments can be answered by the Muskogee VA Office at 1-888-442-4551.