First, contact the VA (1-888-GIBILL1, 1-888-442-4551) or check either eBenefits or Vets.gov to confirm your remaining total months of available eligibility. Then use the following steps to estimate the conversion of months to weeks and decide if the estimate covers the length and cost of your program. The information in the right column demonstrates the formula and act as an example only.
| Steps | Example Based on 30 Months of Eligibility: |
|---|---|
| 1. Enter your total number of months of eligibility provided by the VA | 30 months of eligibility |
| 2. Assuming each month is 4 weeks in length, multiply the number of months by 4 to calculate your estimated weeks of eligibility | 30 months of eligibility x 4 weeks per month = 120 weeks of eligibility |
| 3. Enter the total number of credits required in the program | 54 credits / 6 credits per term = 9 terms 54 credits |
| 4. Assuming you take 6 credits per term, and each term is 12 weeks in length, calculate the total number of weeks of eligibility required to complete the program | 9 terms x 12 weeks per term = 108 weeks of eligibility required |
| 5. Subtract the total eligibility the program would require (total in step 4) from your weeks of eligibility (total in step 2). | 120 weeks of eligibility – 108 weeks of eligibility required = 12 weeks of remaining eligibility |
| 6. Do you have enough eligibility to cover this program in totality? | Yes |
If the total in Step 5 is greater than or equal to 0, you have enough weeks of eligibility to cover your program. If the total in Step 5 is less than 0, consider additional funding sources to cover the remaining cost of your program such as Federal Financial Aid.