Fry Scholarship rates

Get the current Fry Scholarship rates for August 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025. And find out if you may be eligible for monthly housing allowance or money for books and supplies.

Rates for school and training programs

Effective August 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025

Tuition and fees

We’ll send your tuition and fees directly to your school or training program.

The amounts listed here are the maximum amounts we’ll pay this academic year for each type of school or training program.

Find out the rate based on what type of school you’re attending:

Public institution of higher learning (like a state university or community college): We’ll pay the net tuition and mandatory fees. You may be able to get in-state tuition rates at a public school even if you haven’t lived in the state where the school is located.
Learn more about in-state tuition rates
Private institution of higher learning: We’ll pay the net tuition and mandatory fees up to $28,937.09.
Foreign institution of higher learning (a college or university, whether public or private, in a country outside the U.S.): We’ll pay the net tuition and mandatory fees up to $28,937.09 in U.S. dollars.
Non-college degree programs (specific training programs like HVAC repair, truck driving, EMT, or beautician school): We’ll pay the net tuition and mandatory fees up to $28,937.09.
Flight training (a non-degree certificate or rating program): We’ll pay the net tuition and mandatory fees up to $16,535.46
Correspondence school (usually courses provided by mail that you complete at your own pace): We’ll pay the net tuition and mandatory fees up to $14,055.13 for spouses using the Fry Scholarship.

Monthly housing allowance

You may be eligible for money to help pay for your housing while you’re studying. If you’re eligible for monthly housing allowance (MHA), we’ll pay you at the end of each month.

You’re not eligible for an MHA payment if any of these are true:

You’re in school half time or less than half time, or
You’re taking correspondence training or flight training, or
You’re on break from school

If you’re taking in-person courses in the U.S.

We base your MHA on the Department of Defense’s Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates for an E-5 with dependents, using the zip code where your training takes place. We use the 2024 rates to calculate the MHA you get between August 1, 2024, and July 31, 2025.

Find BAH rates by zip code on the Defense Travel Management Office website

We start with the BAH rate, and then we pay you a percentage of that rate (called a “prorated payment”) based on these additional 2 factors:

How much school you’re attending (your rate of pursuit). We determine your rate of pursuit based on how many credits you’re taking each term or how many clock hours you’re scheduled to attend each week. For example, if you’re taking 9 credits in a standard-length term and your school considers 12 credits to be full time, your rate of pursuit is 80% (9 divided by 12, rounded to the nearest tenth). To be eligible for MHA, your rate of pursuit must be more than 50%.
The location where you physically attend most of your classes. We call this “location-based housing allowance.”

If you’re taking online-only courses or you’re at a foreign school

We’ll pay you a percentage of the MHA (called a “prorated payment”) based on how much school you’re attending (your rate of pursuit). We determine your rate of pursuit based on how many credits you’re taking each term or how many clock hours you’re scheduled to attend each week. For example, if you’re taking 9 credits in a standard-length term and your school considers 12 credits to be full time, your rate of pursuit is 80% (9 divided by 12, rounded to the nearest tenth). To be eligible for MHA, your rate of pursuit must be more than 50%.

For online learning

We base your monthly housing allowance on half the national average for MHA.

If you started using your benefits on or after January 1, 2018, we’ll pay you up to $1,118.50. This is the maximum amount we’ll pay you each month. (If you started using your benefits before this date, we’ll pay you up to $1,177.50.)

Note: If you take at least one class in person while taking other online learning classes, you may be eligible for the higher resident MHA.

For foreign institutions of higher learning

We base your monthly housing allowance on the national average for MHA.

If you started using your benefits on or after January 1, 2018, we’ll pay you up to $2,237. This is the maximum amount we’ll pay you each month. (If you started using your benefits before this date, we’ll pay you up to $2,355.)

Money for books and supplies

You may be eligible for up to $1,000 each academic year for books and supplies. We base your payment on how many courses you’re enrolled in for the year and the percentage of benefits you’re eligible for.

We’ll pay this money to you at the beginning of each term or enrollment period.

Money to help you move from a rural area

If you need to relocate from a highly rural area so you can attend school, we may give you a one-time payment of $500 to help with your moving expenses.

You may be eligible for this rural grant if the description listed here is true for you.

This must be true:

You live in a county with no more than 6 people per square mile, as determined by the most recent U.S. census.

And one of these must be true:

You need to physically relocate at least 500 miles away from your home to attend school, or
You need to travel by air to physically attend school because you don’t have the option to travel by car, train, bus, or other ground transportation

Added payments

If your college or university tuition costs more than the maximum payment, you may be eligible for added payments through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Learn about the Yellow Ribbon Program

If you’re struggling with your coursework, you may be eligible for up to $100 per month, up to $1,200 total, for tutorial assistance.

Learn more about tutorial assistance

If you’re enrolled in a school or professional training program, you may be eligible to earn extra money through a part-time job related to VA.

Learn more about work study

Benefit payments for on-the-job training and apprenticeships

Effective August 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025

Monthly payments for living expenses

You may be eligible for money to help you pay for living expenses while you’re training. We base your payment on the Department of Defense’s monthly Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates for an E-5 with dependents, using the zip code where your training takes place. We use the 2024 rates to calculate the monthly payment you get between August 1, 2024, and July 31, 2025.

Find BAH rates by zip code on the Defense Travel Management Office website

We start with the BAH rate, and then we take into account these additional 2 factors to calculate your monthly payment:

How far along you are in training. As you progress in your training program, your payments (and entitlement charged to your GI Bill) decrease every 6 months. We’ll pay you a percentage of the full BAH rate based on how many months you’ve been training in your program:

Months 1 to 6: 100% of the full BAH rate
Months 7 to 12: 80% of the full BAH rate
Months 13 to 18: 60% of the full BAH rate
Months 19 to 24: 40% of the full BAH rate
2 years and beyond: 20% of the full BAH rate

How many hours you work in your training program during a month. We’ll reduce your payment for any month that you work less than 120 hours or don’t work the full month.

Note: You’ll receive your monthly payment after your employer submits your training hours for the month.

Money for books and supplies

We’ll pay you up to $1,000 each academic year for books and supplies. We pay this money to you at the start of your benefit award period, and at the start of each academic year while you’re in your training program.

Benefit payments for test fees and prep courses

Effective August 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025

Licensing and certification test fees and prep courses

For test fees: We’ll pay up to $2,000 for qualifying licensing and certification test fees. We’ll charge your entitlement at the rate of 1 month for every $2,414.18 in fees we pay for licensing and certification tests.

For prep courses: We’ll charge your entitlement at the rate of 1 month for every $2,348.36 in fees we pay for prep courses that help you get ready for a licensing or certification test.

Learn more about licensing and certification tests and prep courses

National tests

There’s no limit on how much we’ll reimburse you for national test fees. We’ll charge your entitlement at the rate of 1 month for every $2,414.18 in fees we pay for national tests.

Learn more about national tests and prep courses

How to contact us if you have questions

You can ask us a question online through Ask VA.

Or call us at 888-442-4551 (TTY: 711). We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET.

Past rates

2023-2024 rates (effective August 1, 2023)

2022-2023 rates (effective August 1, 2022)

2021-2022 rates (effective August 1, 2021)

More information about education benefits

Find and compare schools that are approved for VA education benefits.
If you’re the child or spouse of a Veteran or service member who died on active duty, you may be eligible for a Fry Scholarship to get money for tuition, housing, books, and supplies. Find out if you’re eligible for this scholarship.
If you’re getting Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, you may qualify for more money for school through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Find out if your school participates in the program.