⏰ Clock Hour Conversion Tool

VASCO Standalone Tool #2: Measure clock-hour courses for training time and rate of pursuit

How VA measures clock hours: Trade and technical courses are measured by scheduled clock hours per week (38 CFR 21.4270(a)): 22 hours is full-time when shop practice is an integral part of the course (not more than 2.5 hours of rest allowed), and 18 hours of net instruction is full-time when theory or classroom instruction predominates.
Clock hours at an institution of higher learning (Chapter 33): VA converts weekly clock hours to equivalent credit hours and divides by the full-time credit standard (38 CFR 21.9750(b) and (c)).

Measurement Results

Clock Hours Entered: -
Weekly Clock Hours: -
Full-Time Standard: -
Credit Hour Equivalent: -
Rate of Pursuit: -
Training Time Status: -
Chapter 33 MHA: -

38 CFR 21.4270(a) Clock-Hour Measurement Table

Training Time Shop Practice Integral (hours per week) Theory Predominates (net instruction hours per week)
Full-time22 or more18 or more
Three-quarter time16 through 2113 through 17
Half-time11 through 159 through 12
Less than half, more than quarter6 through 105 through 8
Quarter time or less1 through 51 through 4
Compliance Checklist:

About this tool

This tool measures clock-hour courses the way VA does. Enter the total clock hours scheduled in the term and the number of weeks, and it computes average weekly clock hours. For trade and technical courses it compares that figure with the 38 CFR 21.4270(a) standards (22 hours when shop practice is integral, 18 hours of net instruction when theory predominates) to give the training time and rate of pursuit. For clock-hour courses at an institution of higher learning it applies the Chapter 33 conversion in 38 CFR 21.9750(b) to get equivalent credit hours and a rate of pursuit.

School Certifying Officials use it when certifying non-college-degree (NCD) programs that are approved and measured in clock hours rather than credits. Training time is driven by scheduled weekly clock hours, and Chapter 33 housing allowance is paid only when the rate of pursuit is more than 50 percent, so an accurate weekly figure is essential.

Tips: verify the program is actually approved as a clock hour program before converting; use the real scheduled weeks, not the catalog estimate, since the weekly average changes the status; and print the conversion report for the student file so the certified training time is documented.

More VASCO tools: Credit Hours Calculator, Training Time Calculator, and VASCO Training Resources.