Yes, but in order to receive the prorated or full time MHA when taking ECEs, you must register for and take exams following the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) mandated conditions below.
It is your responsibility to be sure that the dates you register for and schedule/take your exam properly reflect your rate of pursuit so you can qualify for a prorated (greater than half time) or full time MHA.
The term date reported to the DVA will be the total numbers of days beginning with the date of exam registration, and ending with the date the exam was scheduled and attempted. The “start date” of the semester/term is the day you register for an exam, and the “end date” of the semester/term is the day you schedule/take an exam.
How this affects Chapter 33/Post 9-11 students seeking the Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA)
You must study at a rate, “greater than half-time to full-time,” to be eligible for the housing allowance consideration, so it’s crucial that you do not register for an exam until you are ready to test in 8 weeks or less from the registration date. If you take the exam more than 8 weeks after registering for an exam you will likely not qualify for the MHA. Active-duty students do not qualify for the MHA regardless of when they test.
- The “start date” of the semester/term is the day you register for an exam
- The “end date” of the semester/term is the day you schedule/take an exam
- For 3-credit exams, students must take the exam within 8 weeks after registering to qualify for the housing allowance
- If you take a 3-credit exam sooner than 8 weeks, you will get a higher payment, but over a shorter period
- If you take a 3-credit exam more than 8 weeks after registering you will not receive a MHA
- The VA will pay the MHA to you after the exams have been completed
For students using Chapter 30, MGIB
Using the exam registration date as the semester/term start-date and the schedule/take date as the semester/term end-date also affects students using Chapter 30 (MGIB), or any other VA educational benefits, because monthly payment rates payments are based on a student’s rate of pursuit.
For example, when using Chapter 30 you will qualify for the half-time monthly rate if you test within 8 weeks of registration. However, the DVA will pay at a lesser monthly rate when you take longer to test and you will then lose you half-time status.
