The Full Chapter 33 BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) is based on the student’s entitlement percentage. For example, if you are at 100% entitlement and you are enrolled in 12 or more undergraduate hours you will receive the full BAH amount.
To determine the full time rate for our zip code (37996) and pay rate E-5 please visit the BAH calculator website.
Fall and Spring Semesters
Full Time
Undergraduate—12 hours
Graduate School, Vet Med—9 hours
Executive MBA programs—15 hours
Law—10 hours
Undergraduates
If you register for more than half time 7-11 hours you will receive your BAH but not at the full time rate.
| FULL TIME | 12 SEMESTER HOURS |
| 3/4 TIME | 9 TO 11 SEMESTER HOURS |
| 1/2 TIME | 6 TO 8 SEMESTER HOURS |
| LESS THAN 1/2 | 5 SEMESTER HOURS OR LESS |
| Undergraduate Credit Hours | BAH Allowance |
| 12 | 100% |
| 11 | Determined by VA |
| 10 | Determined by VA |
| 9 | Determined by VA |
| 8 | Determined by VA |
| 7 | 60% |
| 6-1 | 0% |
Graduate Students
If you register for more than half time 5-8 hours you will receive your BAH but not at the full time rate.
| FULL TIME | 9 SEMESTER HOURS |
| 3/4 TIME | 8 TO 6 SEMESTER HOURS |
| 1/2 TIME | 5 SEMESTER HOURS |
| LESS THAN 1/2 | 4 SEMESTER HOURS OR LESS |
| Graduate Credit Hours | BAH Allowance |
|---|---|
| 9 | 100% |
| 8 | Determined by VA |
| 7 | Determined by VA |
| 6 | Determined by VA |
| 5 | 60% |
| 4-1 | 0% |
Law Students
The number of credit hours for which you must be registered for educational assistance is as follows:
| FULL TIME | 10 SEMESTER HOURS |
| 3/4 TIME | 7 TO 9 SEMESTER HOURS |
| 1/2 TIME | 5 TO 6 SEMESTER HOURS |
| LESS THAN 1/2 | 4 SEMESTER HOURS OR LESS |
Summer Sessions
See the chart below to determine full time status for each session. To be considered full time for the entire duration of the summer terms as an undergraduate student you must be enrolled in 6 hours in the full session or 3 hours in both first and second session. Graduate students must be enrolled in 9 hours for the full term session or 3 hours for both first and second sessions to be considered full time for the entire duration of the summer.
If you are enrolled in more than one summer session for any combination of hours such as 3 undergraduate hours in both first and second sessions and 3 hours in the full term session the VA will determine your full time status based on your total enrollment. Call VA at 1-888-442-4551 for information on how that will be determined. UTK does not make the calculations based on multiple terms.
*** Please note that the summer terms are paid differently***
Undergraduates
| First Session/Second Session (5 weeks) | Full Session (9 weeks) | |
|---|---|---|
| FULL TIME | 3 hours | 6 hours |
| 3/4 TIME | 2 hours | 5 hours |
| 1/2 TIME | 1 hour | 4 -3 hours |
| LESS THAN 1/2 | 2 hours |
Graduate Students
Graduate Students may take undergraduate level courses only if they are required prerequisites to their graduate program. A certification from the Graduate Office must be presented to Veteran Student Services for approval.
| First Session/Second Session | Full Session | |
|---|---|---|
| FULL TIME | 3 hours | 9 hours |
| 3/4 TIME | 2 hours | 6 to 8 hours |
| 1/2 TIME | 1 hour | 4 to 5 hours |
| LESS THAN 1/2 | N/A | 3 or less hours |
Guidelines for Registration (All VA Students)
You may only repeat a course if:
- It is a required course listed in your curriculum in the catalog or on your Degree Audit Report and you received a W, NC or F the first time you took the course, or
- You make a C-, D or F and the catalog specifically states that it is required that you have a C or higher in the course.
Elective Courses
Please be aware of the number of elective courses you accumulate toward your degree program. Our office is required to check your courses under a degree plan (DARS). If you have exceeded the allowed number of electives or take course outside your major that do not fit into your degree program the VA will not pay for them and they cannot be certified for enrollment. ONLY COURSES THAT APPLY TO YOUR DEGREE, INCLUDING AN ALLOWED NUMBER OF ELECTIVES CAN BE CERTIFIED.
If you have declared a major you must take courses that will be applied to your degree program. Most programs allow for a certain number of elective hours. Any course that does not fit into your program will be an elective. Once you have used up the allowed number of electives for your particular major if you register for any more elective courses they cannot be certified by VA. Unless you are using them to be applied towards a declared second degree, or declared minor. If a course requires a prerequisite within your degree program the prerequisite can be certified for enrollment.
Everything Else
- ALL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS must declare a major after they complete 45 hours.
- If you receive a W or NC those hours must be adjusted for your semester total hours and will most likely result in an overpayment to VA (A student debt).
- Our office is required to report F’s for non-attendance. This will be checked each semester. If you receive an F due to poor attendance or non-attendance it must be reported to VA and will most likely result in overpayment to VA (A student debt).
- If you receive additional financial aid professors must report attendance to the Registrar’s Office, which is checked by the VA Office at the end of every semester. If there is a “stopped attending date” on that report for you, it will reduce your benefit payment and most likely result in overpayment to VA (A student debt). Therefore, if you are not doing well in a particular course, go ahead and withdraw from it and let our office know. That way the overpayment amount will not be as much as it would be if you wait until the end of the semester to receive a reduction.
- Before enrolling in any Independent Study course through the Office of Continuing Education, consult the Veterans Success Center for approval.
- The Veterans Administration WILL NOT pay for an AUDIT of classes.
- VA cannot pay any fees specific to studying abroad UNLESS the student is required to study abroad as part of their program or degree plan. Please check with our office before enrolling in a study abroad course. We also require an invoice regarding the course from the department showing a breakdown of charges. VA will only pay for tuition and fees related to study abroad. VA does not pay for meals, lodging, airfare, or other miscellaneous charges related to study abroad.