When George Mason reports your enrollments to the VA, we provide the number of credits in which you are enrolled and the terms those classes fall under. We also tell the VA how many credit hours are considered full-time for the term in which you are enrolled.
In a standard semester, full-time status usually requires a student to be enrolled in nine credits. Some students may be in programs that only require six or fewer credits to be considered full-time. This may include students are enrolled in dissertation credits, students holding full-time assistantships, students working on theses, and others. Check with your advisor if you are unsure of your full-time requirements.
In a non-standard term, we will report a full-time modifier, which is based on the length of your term.
Calculate the number of weeks in a term by taking the number of days in a term and dividing by 7. Round to the nearest week (for example, 8 weeks and 3 days is rounded to 8 weeks, while four weeks and 4 days is rounded to 5 weeks).
Consult the appropriate chart below to determine your full-time modifier for the term in question.
To determine your rate of pursuit, take the number of credits in which you are enrolled in a given term and divide by the full-time modifier. Round to the nearest tenth. For example, 0.74 is rounded to 0.7, or a 70% rate of pursuit, while 0.75 is rounded to 0.8, or an 80% rate of pursuit. Your rate of pursuit must be greater than 50% in order to receive a monthly housing allowance.
Standard Graduate Full-Time Requirements
|
Course Length in Weeks |
Full Time Modifier (9 credit students) |
|
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
|
3 |
1 |
|
4 |
2 |
|
5 |
2 |
|
6 |
3 |
|
7 |
3 |
|
8 |
4 |
|
9 |
4 |
|
10 |
5 |
|
11 |
5 |
|
12 |
6 |
|
13 |
6 |
|
14 |
7 |
|
15-19 |
9 |
Modified Graduate Full-Time Requirements (examples include enrolled in dissertation credits, students holding full-time assistantships, students working on theses)
|
Course Length in Weeks |
Full Time Modifier (3 Credit Students) |
Full Time Modifier (6 Credit Students) |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
3 |
1 |
1 |
|
4 |
1 |
1 |
|
5 |
1 |
1 |
|
6 |
1 |
2 |
|
7 |
1 |
2 |
|
8 |
1 |
2 |
|
9 |
1 |
3 |
|
10 |
1 |
3 |
|
11 |
1 |
3 |
|
12 |
2 |
4 |
|
13 |
2 |
4 |
|
14 |
2 |
4 |
|
15-19 |
3 |
6 |
Example 1:
You are a Chapter 33 graduate student in a modular program that consists of two 8-week modules. You enroll in one 3 credit class from 1/11 to 3/7. You enroll in two 3 credit classes from 3/15 to 5/9.
For your first term, which is 3 credits from 1/11 to 3/7, your rate of pursuit is 80%.
The full-time modifier for an 8-week term is 4 credits. 3 ÷ 4 is 0.75, which is rounded up to 0.8, or an 80% rate of pursuit.
Your benefits during this period are charged at an 80% rate of pursuit, and you receive 80% of the monthly housing allowance (if applicable).
For your second term, which is 6 credits beginning on 3/15, you now have a 100% rate of pursuit.
As the full-time modifier is 4 credits, and you are in 6 credits, your new rate of pursuit is 100%.
Your benefits during this period are charged at the 100% rate of pursuit, and you receive 100% of the monthly housing allowance (if applicable).
If your classes are in overlapping terms, the VA will use whichever full-time modifier grants you the highest rate of pursuit during the overlap period. While this benefits you from a housing stipend perspective, you should be aware that your benefit is also being reduced at the higher rate.
Example 2:
You are a graduate student who enrolls in one 2 credit course over a 12-week term from 5/23 to 8/12. The full-time modifier for a 12-week term is 6 credits. You also enroll in one 3 credit course over an 8-week term from 5/30 to 7/22. The full-time modifier for an 8-week term is 4 credits.
When your first class begins on 5/23, you are in 2 credits. As the full-time modifier for a 12-week term is 6 credits, you are at a 30% rate of pursuit (2 ÷ 6 = 0.33, rounded to 0.3). Your benefit is charged at the 30% rate of pursuit. You do not receive a housing stipend.
Your next class begins on 5/30. When it begins, you will be in a combined total of 5 credits. During the overlap, we use the lower full-time modifier. As it is a shorter term, the 8-week term has the lower full-time modifier of 4. As you are in 5 combined credits, you are at a 100% rate of pursuit. Your benefits during this period are charged at the 100% rate of pursuit, and you receive 100% of the monthly housing allowance (if applicable).
When your 8-week class ends on 7/22, you are again in 2 credits during a 12-week term, and your rate of pursuit returns to 30%.