Rate of Pursuit

How much of your tuition your benefits will cover is dependent on your rate of pursuit, which is based on the number of credits you're taking and the duration (number of weeks) of your courses. These two factors together determine whether you're taking classes full-time, three-quarter time, half-time, or quarter time or less. 

At Penn State, the rate of pursuit classifications for undergraduate students are as follows:

• full-time: 12 credits,
• three quarter-time: 9 credits,
• half-time: 6 credits, and
• quarter-time or less: less than 3 credits.

The factors within this calculation (number of credits and number of weeks) remain the same for classes taken in the summer semesters; however, some summer courses are offered on a compressed, or shorter, schedule.  This can cause the benefits that you're able to access over the summer to fluctuate, particularly if you're taking multiple term dates over the summer.

One thing to note is that the amount you'll be charged against your entitlement is determined by the VA, not by Penn State. If you need further clarification about this amount or about how training time for summer courses is calculated, you may contact the VA at 888-442-4551 for assistance.

Non-Standard Terms

For terms less than 16 weeks, the VA weighs credits more heavily when determining a student’s rate of pursuit. Knowing your rate of pursuit is important to understanding how your entitlement is charged and how much you will receive for your monthly housing allowance (if eligible).

The Bursar's Office can help guide you and give you much of the information you need (though a definitive answer can only be provided by the VA).  When contacting the Bursar's Office for assistance, please have the courses in question scheduled and have your 9-digit Penn State ID number ready. This will allow them to see your schedule to ensure that they're accurately advising you. The staff member you speak to will then enter course dates, credits, and a variable called the "full-time measure" into the VA system. The full-time measure is important to have on hand when you call the VA as they won't be able to tell you your rate of pursuit without that information. The full-time measure that we determine is dependent on the length of your term. Again, the VA weighs credits more heavily for shorter terms, so being enrolled in 3 credits during a term that has a full-time measure of 4 doesn't mean you're three-quarter time. 

For your reference, term length to full-time measure is

• 1–4 weeks = 3 credits,
• 5–7 weeks = 4 credits,
• 8–9 weeks = 5 credits,
• 10–11 weeks = 6 credits, and
• 12+ weeks = 9 credits.