Payments and housing allowance
Do I get paid during school breaks?
Why the Post-9/11 housing allowance stops between terms, which short breaks inside a term are still paid, and how summer classes change it.
Generally, no. The Post-9/11 housing allowance is only paid for days you are enrolled in a certified term. Between terms, such as winter break or summer if you are not taking classes, there is no housing payment. This is the budgeting surprise I warn every first-year student about.
Why breaks are not paid
The old practice of paying housing through breaks, often called break pay, ended for Chapter 33 in 2011. Today MHA stops the day after your certified term ends, and it starts again once your next term is certified and underway.
What is different inside a term
Short breaks that fall inside a certified term, like spring break or Thanksgiving, are part of the term. You are paid through them, and they count against your entitlement like any other day of the term.
Summer classes
If you enroll in summer courses above half-time, you can receive MHA for the days you are in class, at the rate of pursuit certified for that summer term. Summer terms use entitlement too, but many students use them to finish sooner.
If you are unsure whether a short summer session will pay housing at your school, ask your certifying official before you register.