Want the real gouge? You can bank over $ 3k per month while you get your education. GI bill AND VR&E (Chapter 31) both offer Monthly Housing Allowance, MHA. So, when you’re planning out your degree and you’re thinking of what college to apply to, remember the important information. You need to take full-time, and a hybrid schedule to maximize your MHA benefit. To get 100% of your MHA, you need to take a full course load. That exact class # can change from school to school. Sometimes, even the program within the school, but a good baseline is 12 credit hours per semester for an undergraduate degree and 6-9 credit hours for a graduate degree. Check out the full breakdown of your full MHA obligation below:
Course Load Obligation
Undergraduate
- 12 Credit hours minimum for 100% (4 classes)
- 9 credit hours for 75% (3 classes)
- 6 credit hours 50% (2 classes)
Graduate
- 6 credit hours for 100% (2-3 classes depending on your school)
- 3 credit hours 50% (1 class)
Online
Full-time required to earn MHA ($1,177.50)
- 4 classes undergrad degree
- 2-3 classes graduate degree
Easy enough, right? Well, that’s the first half of getting the MHA you’re entitled to. The second half is your attendance method. If you can manage to get your ass in a seat once or twice a month, you will get paid your full benefit. Hybrid learning can get you your full in-person benefit, but you will need to double-check with your university regarding what they consider a full-time in-person student. I’m getting my MBA at Golden Gate University and taking two classes a semester, one of which is a hybrid. That attendance will give me my full benefit, which is around $ 4,500 per month. Not every school is the same, but if one of your classes is on campus, you will maximize your benefit. Want an easy breakdown? Scroll down:
Method of attendance
In-person = full benefit
One class in-person/hybrid, everything else online = full benefit (Double check with your school)
Online = $1,177.50 set online rate
That’s it…. Kinda. That’s how you can maximize your benefits at your school of choice. How do you MAXIMIZE your benefit? More planning is required, but not much; don’t sweat. If you want the A+ answer, you’ll do a little research to find the best MHA rate near you. Check out THIS LISTto see who’s paying the most near you. Don’t you know where you want to live post-military? Maybe hop in an RV and post up on base near San Fran.
Final Step
Explore https://collegerecon.com/bah-calculator/ to find the right college and degree program for you. Talk to your student counselor to find out your school’s exact requirements.
Need to know more about the 9/11 GI Bill vs Montgomery GI Bill vs Chapter 31(VR&E) vs Chapter 35 (survivors and dependents)? Click HERE