Making the Most of Your VA Benefits with 8-Week Online Class Sessions

At ODUGlobal, you're considered an online student if all your courses are taken fully online. As an online student, you won't enroll in on-campus classes at ODU, but you can take advantage of flexible 8-week sessions designed to help you stay on track, wherever your service takes you.

If you’re using VA education benefits, especially the Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33), it’s important to know how your Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) may be affected by your enrollment status.

Smiling service member in a camouflage uniform standing outdoors on a bright day

This institution is approved to offer GI Bill® educational benefits by the Virginia State Approving Agency. 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.

How Full-Time Status is Determined in 8-week Sessions

The short answer is that 8-week sessions lessen the number of credits needed to be considered full-time. The VA determines full-time status using a standardized term-length conversion for nonstandard (accelerated) terms, which factors in both the number of credits and the length of each term—not just the number of classes.

Here’s how this typically works for undergraduates: 

  • Six credits in one 8-week session (typically two courses worth three credits each) count as full-time for that session.
  • Six credits in Session 1 plus six credits in Session 2 (back-to-back in the same semester) equals full-time across the traditional semester.
  • Three credits in one 8-week session count as half-time for that session, and the VA pays proportionally.

How Full-Time Status Affects Benefit Rates

  • Full-time enrollment: $1,574.00 for each full month
  • 3/4-time enrollment: $1,244.00 for each full month
  • 1/2-time enrollment: $912.00 for each full month

If you’re enrolled less than 1/2 time, the VA will pay you up to the amount listed here for every month you’re enrolled—but no more than the cost of your tuition and fees:

  • Less than 1/2-time and more than 1/4-time enrollment: $912.00 for each full month (or the cost of your tuition and fees, whichever is less)
  • 1/4-time enrollment or less: $393.50 for each full month (or the cost of your tuition and fees, whichever is less)
     

  • Full-time enrollment: $493.00 for each full month
  • 3/4-time enrollment: $369.00 for each full month
  • 1/2-time enrollment: $246.00 for each full month
  • Less than 1/2-time enrollment: $123.25 for each full month

  • Full-time enrollment: $2,518.00 for each full month
  • 3/4-time enrollment: $1,888.50 for each full month
  • 1/2-time enrollment: $1,259.00 for each full month

If you’re enrolled less than 1/2 time, the VA will pay you up to the amount listed here for every month you’re enrolled—but no more than the cost of your tuition and fees:

  • Less than 1/2-time and more than 1/4-time enrollment: $1,259.00 for each full month (or the cost of your tuition and fees, whichever is less)
  • 1/4-time enrollment or less: $629.50 for each full month (or the cost of your tuition and fees, whichever is less)

  • This rate is paid monthly based on the length of the term and your credit hours for each session.
  • For Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33), you must be enrolled over 50% to receive Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) .
  • If there’s a gap between sessions, these benefits pause during the gap.
  • If you are an on-campus student, you must take at least one in-person class to receive the local campus MHA rate (zip code based).
  • If you are an ODUGlobal student, you still receive MHA but at the national online rate, which is lower than the local rate.

Please note: ODU on-campus students are permitted to take online classes in pursuit of their program. Fully online students enrolled through ODUGlobal can only take online classes beginning Fall 2026. Please work with your academic advisor to be sure you are enrolled in the correct program with the correct campus designation to support your expectations for MHA benefits.

Payment Timing

  • If you are using Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) or Veteran Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31), the tuition is paid directly to the university within 90 days of the start of the session.
  • All Stipend rates are typically paid to you at the beginning of a month for the classes that took place during the previous month (either a complete month or part of a month). These payments are based on your actual enrollment dates and your enrollment status (full-time, half-time, etc.). If you take back-to-back 8-week sessions, you’ll usually receive separate payments for each.
  • If your benefits are close to expiring, the VA will pay through the end of your current term but not for terms beginning after your eligibility period ends

Support is Here for You!

For more information, we encourage you to review benefit rates on the official VA website and information on our Military Benefits and Certification Services (MBCS) website. 

  • If you have questions about what the University will report to the VA, contact the MBCS team at military@odu.edu or 757-683-7153.
  • Connect with your academic advisor to make sure your credit load meets your intended benefit level.
  • For direct verification of your benefits or funding, use the ask.va.gov portal or call the VA Education Benefits Hotline at 888-442-4551.
Military member sitting and talking to a group. She is smiling.