How Is a Month's Use of GI Bill Entitlement Calculated?

Q: My question is regarding the 36 months of benefits. Does the 36 month period take into account how many credit hours were earned in the period? For example, the first semester I attended school, I took two classes, earning 6 credit hours in three months. This semester I am taking four classes, which will be 12 credits in the same amount of time. So, I have used 6 months of benefits, even though I earned double the credit hours in the second semester. If that is the case, can I take as many classes as I can possibly handle in a semester, and still have the total paid? I ask because I will need to take extra courses in order to sit for the CPA exam, but did not think they would be covered under this benefit. I assumed the benefit was somehow based on total credits, not total time, but I cannot find any information about this specifically. If the benefit is solely time sensitive, I can jam in the extra courses I need to take within my 36 months, correct?

A:The GI Bill is a credit-based system with 12 credits considered full time.  You won't get paid more benefits if you take more than 12 credits, so let's discuss how they figure entitlement, if you take less than 12 credits.

As we said, Post 9/11 GI Bill entitlement use is based on a full-time credit load of 12 credits. If you take 12 credits per semester, you use one month of entitlement; that is pretty straight-forward.

If you are taking less than 12 credits, your entitlement use would be a percentage of a full month. For example, let say you are taking 7 credits.  Your entitlement use would be 7/12ths of a month or about 17 1/2 days per month (7/12ths of 30 days).

The VA pays your tuition and fees up to the in-state maximum and you get a book stipend, based on $41.67 per credit hour. If your rate of pursuit is over half-time, then you get a housing allowance; it is the same amount whether your are taking 7 credits or 12. 

If we are talking about the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB), entitlement use is based on the following system, still somewhat credit based:

• full-time;
• 3/4 time;
• 1/2 time;
• more than 1/4, but less than 1/2;
• 1/4 time or less.

 Using our same example, entitlement use for seven credits would be considered 3/4 time; so your use would be 3/4 of 30 days or 22.5 days per month. With the MGIB, you get paid a fixed amount and you have to pay all your own education-related expenses.