Training time & rate of pursuit
How do I certify mini-mesters?
Certify each session separately with its own dates and training time. Rolling sequential sessions into one certification causes errors.
Submit a separate certification for each mini-mester or short session, using that session's own start and end dates. Do not roll two sequential 8-week sessions into a single 16-week certification. Training time is measured per session, so the student's payment can change between sessions.
Why it matters
A student who is full-time in the first session and half-time in the second will see their housing allowance step down, and at half-time it stops. Certifying each session accurately means the VA pays what the student actually earned, and there is nothing to claw back later.
- Pull the official dates for each session from the academic calendar.
- Calculate training time for each session against the full-time definition that applies to it.
- Certify the first session, making sure its end date does not overlap the next session's start date.
- Certify the next session separately.
- If the student drops a later session, amend that certification right away.