VR&E Online School: What’s Your Actual Monthly Payment? (It Depends on Which Program You’re In)

Two Subsistence Programs, Two Completely Different Rules

VR&E (Chapter 31) has two separate subsistence allowance programs. Which one you’re on determines whether online school pays the same as in-person — or significantly less. The distinction comes down to one thing: do you have remaining Post-9/11 GI Bill® entitlement?

• Program 1: Legacy Chapter 31 Subsistence Allowance — same rate whether you attend online or in-person. Scales by number of dependents and training type.
• Program 2: Post-9/11 Subsistence Allowance — different rates for online vs. in-person. Based on BAH calculations tied to your school’s location.

These are not minor variations. The gap between these two programs can mean hundreds — or thousands — of dollars per month. And when someone on Reddit tells you “you get full BAH” or “you only get half,” they’re answering based on whichever program THEY are on, not the one you’re on.

Legacy Chapter 31 SA (No Remaining Post-9/11 GI Bill®)

If you have no remaining Post-9/11 GI Bill® entitlement, you’re on the Legacy Subsistence Allowance. This is the simpler of the two programs, and in one specific way, it’s the more predictable one.

• Online and in-person rates are the same — no penalty for attending school remotely
• Rates scale by training type (institutional full-time, on-the-job, combination) and number of dependents
• Full-time institutional training: approximately $783–$970/month depending on dependents (verify against current VA rate tables before making enrollment decisions)
• No BAH calculation, no location dependency — a veteran in rural Kansas gets the same rate as a veteran in San Francisco

The upside: predictability. The downside: the rates are lower than what Post-9/11 SA pays for in-person attendance. But if you’re planning to attend school online, Legacy SA doesn’t punish you for it.

Post-9/11 SA (Have Remaining Post-9/11 GI Bill® Entitlement)

If you have any remaining Post-9/11 GI Bill® entitlement and you elect the Post-9/11 subsistence rate by submitting VA Form 28-0987, the math changes dramatically:

• In-person attendance: 95% of E-5 with dependents BAH for your school’s ZIP code — potentially $1,500–$3,500+/month depending on location
• Online-only attendance: 50% of the national average BAH — significantly less than the in-person rate
• The gap between in-person and online under this program is large — often $1,000–$2,000/month or more
• Hybrid programs (some in-person classes, some online) may qualify for the full in-person rate — check with your Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) for specifics

This is where the confusion lives. A veteran on Post-9/11 SA attending in-person classes in a high-cost area could receive $3,000+/month. That same veteran switching to online-only could drop to roughly $1,000/month. Same program, same school, different delivery method — wildly different payment.

How to Check Which Program You’re On

This isn’t complicated, but you need to actually check instead of guessing:

• Check your remaining Post-9/11 GI Bill® entitlement on VA.gov — log in and look at your Statement of Benefits
• If any entitlement remains: you CAN elect the Post-9/11 SA rate by submitting VA Form 28-0987 to your VRC
• If none remains: you’re on the Legacy SA automatically — no election needed, no form to submit

The election matters because the Post-9/11 rate is higher for in-person attendance but comes with a trade-off that most veterans don’t think about until it’s too late.

The Bottom Line

There is no single answer to “what does VR&E pay for online school?” — there are two answers, and they depend entirely on which subsistence program you’re on. Legacy SA treats online and in-person the same. Post-9/11 SA pays significantly less for online-only attendance. Both programs cover full tuition regardless of delivery method — the difference is only in the monthly subsistence payment.

Before you enroll, check your GI Bill® entitlement status. Before you choose online vs. in-person, run the numbers for both programs. And before you take advice from a forum, ask the person giving it which program they’re actually on.