While enrolled in class, you qualify for a housing allowance, many Veterans are not aware that this is also possible while attending 100% online. In addition to that secret, many schools are not aware of the scheduling requirements for Veterans to maintain eligibility to receive benefits consistently. This is further complicated by the frequent breaks during the year that more traditional schools take, causing interruptions in your GI Bill® which often result and a debt being owed back to the VA. Not going full time reduces your BAH by $400 per month. That is a significant reduction. You should also note that going full time does not mean you can’t work or live your life, it simply means if done correctly, you will spend a little more time on school work to accommodate the VA while gaining an estimated additional $400 per month.

The Fix:  There are a few simple ways to avoid this.

• Make sure you are enrolled full time. Meaning at least 2 classes at a time at most schools. In order to reduce your work-load, spread the second class out so you are not doing 40 hours of work per week. Basically 1 full time class and 1 part time class will do for full time. Don’t overdo it right out of the gate. The second way to avoid this is to make sure you are enrolled all year around and if you need a break to schedule it ahead of time so you do not end up paying back your BAH to the VA. Also as a veteran, look for flexible Incomplete policies that allow you to complete a course with some flexibility if you have an issue completing on time due to personal or family commitments.

The most commonly made mistake:

• As mentioned earlier, every school has a different schedule, the table below helps you identify how many credits you must be enrolled into qualify as full time (within a specific number of weeks). Be careful

when dealing with school representatives at schools that have less than 30% of their students as veterans. They often times do not know how scheduling impacts your benefit specifically.

This table from the VA will help you > At ALU: We know all of the GI Bill® fine print.

• All course scheduling’s are offered in a format that automatically allows you to go full time. This

means you maximize your benefit. We consult you on the best approach to maximize your GI Bill®, get the most without losing any of your benefits. ALU offers interactive classes 100% online that make you eligible for the GI Bill® unlike some correspondence schools.

“GI Bill®” is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.