Payment & Deferment Information

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.

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. 

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 deferments will be available through 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.