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.
If you're using Chapter 30, Chapter 35, or Chapter 1606 benefits, your monthly stipend and benefit usage depend on your training time—that is, how many credits you're taking compared to what VA considers full-time.
If you’re using Chapter 33 benefits, your rate of pursuit is used to calculate monthly housing allowance payments and the amount of time deducted from your benefit. Your rate of pursuit does not affect tuition and fee payments. Your tuition and fees will be paid based on your eligibility percentage. For example, a student with 100% eligibility under the Post-9/11 GI Bill will have 100% of the monthly housing allowance (if applicable) and book stipend (if applicable).
Use the chart below to estimate your training time, and always refer to the official VA site for current rates.
| Credits Enrolled | Training Time/Rate of Pursuit | Undergraduate Housing Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 6+ | Full Time | 100% |
| 4-5 | ¾ Time | 80% |
| 3 | ½ Time | 0% |
| 2 | Less than ½ but more than ¼ | 0% |
| 1 | ¼ Time or less | 0% |
| Credits Enrolled | Training Time/Rate of Pursuit | Graduate Housing Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 5+ | Full Time | 100% |
| 3 | ¾ Time | 60% |
| 2 | ½ Time | 0% |
| 1 | ¼ Time or less | 0% |
For the most accurate and updated stipend amounts and definitions of training time:
Campus-based students: MHA is based on the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for Norfolk, VA. Read more about military benefits for on-campus students.
Fully online students: MHA is based on half of the national average Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to account for online students being able to live anywhere in the country.
Visit the VA Comparison Tool for exact rates.
| Term Length | Credits Needed for 100% Full-Time Status |
|---|---|
| 8 weeks | 6 or more undergraduate credits |
| 16 weeks | 12 or more undergraduate credits |
Graduate students should check full-time credit equivalents with an advisor.
As an ODUGlobal student, your program is fully online and does not include in-person classes at ODU. You won’t qualify for the full MHA through an ODUGlobal course alone, but you may still be eligible for the full MHA rate if you take an approved in-person class at another VA-approved institution.
Check how many months you have left, so you don’t exhaust your benefits.
ODU’s School Certifying Officials enter your enrollment information based on ODU guidelines for full-time status, and the VA determines the payments sent to the you and the school.
If you have questions about your VA Education Benefits or payments, please contact the VA Education Hotline at 1-888-442-4551 or use Ask VA.
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 at http://benefits.va.gov/gibill
