Prior to registering for classes, please look at the Benefits Checklist page.
When creating your class schedule, you should keep to the following certification guidelines.
Classes used for certification must fulfill a requirement within your current degree program. Classes that are supplemental, highly recommended, or beyond those required for your current degree program can not be certified to the VA.
MATH 134 can only be certified if you take a Math Placement Exam at UH Mānoa and the results support your need for taking the class.
Careful planning is required when you are taking classes that meet HSL or foreign culture requirements:
The VA will factor in the start and end dates for each class you are enrolled in when determining your full-time enrollment status.
| Enrollment Status | Undergraduate | Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Unclassified* | Law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-Time | 12+ |
|
|
| ¾-Time | 9-11 | 6 | 9-11 |
| ½-Time | 6-8 | 4 | 6-8 |
| ¼-Time | 3-5 | 2 | 3-5 |
| <¼-Time | <3 | <2 | <3 |
*Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Unclassified Students – You must enroll in at least one class numbered 600 and above in order for your VA enrollment to be determined by the graduate full-time definition. Otherwise, your VA enrollment will be determined by the undergraduate full-time definition.
Students pursuing a College of Education Post-Baccalaureate Certificates are considered full-time at 12 or more credits.
Undergraduate Students
The VA (not UH Mānoa) determines your enrollment status for the summer terms. If you have questions about being considered full-time, contact the VA’s Education Call Center with the following information:
Subject to Change: 4 credits taken in a 6-week term is considered to be full-time by the VA during the summer, however, UH Mānoa cannot guarantee that the VA will continue to use this definition.
Graduate & Law Students
During summer terms, 4 credits taken in a 6-week term is considered to be full-time. If you enroll in a non-standard class that is longer than 6 weeks, we recommend that you speak with a School Certifying Official.
Students pursuing a College of Education Post-Baccalaureate Certificate are considered full-time when enrolled in 6 credits during a 6-week term.
During your graduation (last) semester, the VA allows you to round out your class schedule with additional classes to bring your course load up to a full-time schedule. You can only round out once.
To round out, you must have at least one required class to complete during your last semester. Keep in mind that the required class(es) should not be dropped from your schedule, otherwise, the additional classes used to round out your schedule will be decertified effective prior to the first day of the semester.
The additional classes used to round out your schedule must:
Most importantly, your required and additional classes must have the same start and end dates.
The VA does not allow students who are solely pursuing a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate or Graduate Certificate to round out.
To meet the in-person requirement for monthly housing allowance (MHA), you must be enrolled more than half-time AND have at least one in-person or hybrid designated class. In-person or hybrid classes must have a physical location assigned in STAR or Class Availability.
If you are taking an in-person/hybrid designated class, MHA is the same as the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents located in the zip code (96822) of the school.
If you are taking a combination of in-person/hybrid and online classes, then as long as you are enrolled in at least one credit of an in-person/hybrid class during the same period as the online class(es), the VA will issue the housing allowance as though you were taking all in-person classes.
If you are taking exclusively online classes, MHA is based on half the national average as determined by the VA.
