Payments and housing allowance
Why is my MHA lower for online classes?
When your classes are all online, Chapter 33 pays a fixed national online housing rate instead of the rate for your campus ZIP code.
If your classes are entirely online, the Post-9/11 GI Bill pays a separate online housing rate: half of the national average BAH for an E-5 with dependents. That is the same for every online student in the country, and in most places it is lower than the in-person rate for a campus ZIP code.
What online means here
The VA looks at whether you physically attend class at a campus. A class that meets live on Zoom at set times still counts as online.
Mixing online and in-person classes
If at least one of your classes is in person and counts toward your degree, you get the rate tied to your campus ZIP code instead of the online rate, as long as you are enrolled above half-time. You do not need a majority of in-person credits. The online rate is only for students whose program is entirely online. Because a single course swap can change your payment by hundreds of dollars a month, I still ask students to confirm their schedule with me before they finalize a hybrid schedule.
What does not change online
- Tuition coverage works the same way at approved online programs.
- The books stipend is the same for online and in-person students.
- You still need to be enrolled above half-time to get any housing allowance. An online schedule at exactly half-time pays none.
- Online classes use entitlement at the same rate as in-person classes.