The GI Bill provides educational benefits to veterans of the United States armed forces. At present time, two versions of the GI Bill are in effect: the Pre-9/11 and Post-9/11 GI Bills. While there are subtle differences, both provide benefits based on the student's enrollment status.
Enrollment Status
For both versions of the GI Bill, full-time enrollment is considered to be 12 semester hours or greater. Half time is six semester hours, and part time is less than six.
Certifiable Hours
The GI Bill only counts hours that apply to your degree program. Hours must be certified with the Veterans Administration each semester by a school official.
Post-9/11 Housing Benefit
The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides a housing stipend for full-time students. To receive this benefit, a student must attend at least one-quarter time in on-campus classes.
Status Changes
If a course is rejected for certification by the VA, the resulting change in status can affect your benefit allowances and can result in money owed back to the VA.
Failed or Dropped Classes
Tuition for failed or dropped classes must be paid back to the VA before further course work will be funded.
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Christopher Williams has spent over 11 years working in the information technology, health care and outdoor recreation fields. He has over seven years of technical and educational writing experience, and has brought strong skills and passion to the Demand Studios team in articles for eHow and Trails in 2009.