The Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA, BAH, housing stipend) is based on a pay grade of E-5 with dependents and JMU's zip code (22807) when courses are taken on JMU campus. 

• For the 2024-2025 school year, BAH is equal to $1,791 per full month at fulltime training status with 100% eligibility.
• It is paid to the student monthly and in arrears. For example, the September housing stipend can be released on or after October 1st. 
• The BAH payments will be prorated for August and December for Fall semesters and January and May for Spring semesters; it is paid solely on the published dates of each semester. For example, if the fall semester ends on December 15th, the housing stipend will be paid for 15 days only, paid on or after January 1st. 
• Students enrolled solely in online courses for a term will receive the distance learning BAH rate which is equal to 1/2 the national average BAH for an E-5 with dependents. Effective 8/1/2023 - 7/31/2024, the online rate is $938 per full month at fulltime training.
• Active duty service members and their spouses are NOT eligible for the BAH payments while using Post 9/11 benefits. 

IMPORTANT: All room rent, meal plan and internet fee charges must be covered upfront to JMU each semester. The monthly stipends can be used to help reimburse for the upfront costs. For information about JMU charges and payment options, please see the University Business Office website. JMU offers a payment plan to spread out the charges over 3-5 months. 

Training Time Status and Housing Stipend Payments

Fulltime status at JMU:

• Undergraduate = 12 semester credits
• Graduate = 9 semester credits

Atypical enrollments do exist at JMU and will not conform to the above, including: 7-week block enrollments, summer sessions, and some graduate programs. For example - the JMU MBA programs operate on a 7 or 8-week terms basis. Summer sessions and fulltime status depends on the number of credits and the length of each term. Block courses held during the regular Fall/Spring semester can impact training time and housing stipend rates. 

Effective August 1, 2011 - housing allowance benefits are prorated based upon training time, rounded to the nearest multiple of 10.  Example: If you are enrolled in 7 credits when 12 credits are full time, your training time is .58 and you will receive 60% of the applicable BAH rate.

The housing allowance is NOT payable for those pursuing training at half time or less. For undergraduate students, that equates to 6 credits with semester-long dates. 

Monthly Enrollment Verification

Students eligible to receive the monthly housing stipend are required to verify their attendance at the end of each month. Students who fail to verify their attendance for two consecutive months will have their monthly stipend witheld until the verify. 

More information can be found on the VA Enrollment Verification webpage. 

Will Your Monthly Housing Allowance Change?

The Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) payments you receive for Post-9/11 are based on the military's Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates for an E-5 with dependents. The Department of Defense adjusts the military BAH rate every calendar year (or January 1) based on changes to housing costs across the country. Rates can either go up or down.

Public Law 111 - 377 (the Veterans Educational Assistance Improvement Act of 2010) amended the effective date for the adjustment of the MHA you receive under Post-9/11 from the beginning of the calendar year (January 1) to the beginning of the academic year (August 1).

If the BAH increased for your area, you will not see an increase until your first payment for training pursued in August. If the BAH decreases for your area, your MHA amount will not decrease unless you change schools or have more than a six-month break in training.

Showing Proof of your Post 9/11 Housing Allowance

If you need to show proof of your VA housing allowance to a landlord or reality company, here are a few things that may work:

• The "term verification letter" that VA sends once they have processed your enrollment each semester.  It lists credit hours, tuition and fees, book stipend and the monthly housing allowance amount. 
• Print out a copy of the BAH rates for JMU's zip code (22807) and pay grade (E-5) from this link
• Provide a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility for your Post 9/11 Benefits. You may request a new copy from VA by calling 888-442-4551.
• Print this page where it states the BAH monthly rate (above).
• Print out information from the GI Bill^® website.