**Assessment and Pursuit of Courses**

**§21.4270 Measurement of courses.**

\(a\) *Measurement of trade, technical, and high school courses*. Trade,
technical, high school, and high school preparatory courses shall be
measured as stated in this paragraph.

\(1\) *Trade and technical courses*.

\(i\) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, if shop
practice is an integral part of a trade or technical course not leading
to a standard college degree:

\(A\) A full-time enrollment is 22 clock hours per week (exclusive of
supervised study) with not more than 2-1/2 hours rest period allowance;

\(B\) A three-quarter-time enrollment is 16 through 21 clock hours per
week (exclusive of supervised study) with not more than 2 hours rest
period allowance;

\(C\) A one-half-time enrollment is 11 through 15 clock hours per week
(exclusive of supervised study) with not more than 1-1/4 hours rest
period allowance;

\(D\) A less than one-half-time but more than one-quarter-time
enrollment is 6 through 10 clock hours per week (exclusive of supervised
study) with not more than 3/4 hour rest period allowance; and

\(E\) A quarter-time enrollment is 1 through 5 clock hours per week
(exclusive of supervised study).

\(ii\) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, if theory
and class instruction constitute more than 50 percent of the required
hours in a trade or technical course not leading to a standard college
degree, enrollments will be measured as follows. In measuring net
instruction there will be included customary intervals not to exceed 10
minutes between classes. Shop practice and rest periods are excluded.
Supervised instruction periods in a school's shops and the time involved
in field trips and group instruction may be included in computing the
clock hour requirements.

\(A\) A full-time enrollment is 18 clock hours net instruction per week
(exclusive of supervised study);

\(B\) A three-quarter-time enrollment is 13 through 17 clock hours net
instruction per week (exclusive of supervised study);

\(C\) A one-half-time enrollment is 9 through 12 clock hours net
instruction per week (exclusive of supervised study);

\(D\) A less than one-half-time but more than one- quarter-time
enrollment is 5 through 8 clock hours net instruction per week
(exclusive of supervised study); and

\(E\) A quarter-time enrollment is 1 through 4 clock hours net
instruction per week (exclusive of supervised study).

\(2\) *High school courses*. If a student is pursuing high school
courses at a rate which would result in an accredited high school
diploma in four ordinary school years, VA considers him or her to be
enrolled full time. Otherwise, for high school enrollments, training
time will be determined as follows. (For the purpose of this paragraph,
a unit is not less than one hundred and twenty 60-minute hours or the
equivalent of study in any subject in one academic year.)

\(i\) A full-time enrollment is 18 clock hours net instruction per week
or four units per year or the equivalent;

\(ii\) A three-quarter-time enrollment is 13 through 17 clock hours net
instruction per week or three units per year or the equivalent;

\(iii\) A one-half-time enrollment is 9 through 12 clock hours net
instruction per week or two units per year or the equivalent;

\(iv\) A less than one-half-time but more than one-quarter-time
enrollment is 5 through 8 clock hours net instruction per week or one
unit per year or the equivalent; and

\(v\) A one-quarter-time enrollment is 1 through 4 clock hours net
instruction per week.

\(3\) *Elementary school*. For a high school preparatory course pursued
at the elementary school level:

\(i\) A full-time enrollment is 18 clock hours net instruction per week;

\(ii\) A three-quarter-time enrollment is 13 through 17 clock hours net
instruction per week;

\(iii\) A one-half-time enrollment is 9 through 12 clock hours net
instruction per week;

\(iv\) A less than one-half-time but more than one-quarter-time
enrollment is 5 through 8 clock hours net instruction per week; and

\(v\) A one-quarter-time enrollment is 1 through 4 clock hours per week.
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3688(a))

\(b\) *Measurement of non-college degree courses offered by institutions
of higher learning*.

\(1\) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a)(1) of this
section, if a student is enrolled in a course which is not leading to a
standard college degree and which is offered by an institution of higher
learning, VA will measure his or her enrollment in the same manner as
collegiate undergraduate courses are measured according to the
provisions of paragraph (c) of this section.

\(2\) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a)(1) of this
section, if a student is enrolled in a course not leading to a standard
college degree which is offered on a standard quarter- or semester-hour
basis by an educational institution which is not an institution of
higher learning, VA shall measure his or her enrollment in the same
manner as collegiate undergraduate courses are measured according to the
provisions of paragraph (c) of this section, provided that the
educational institution requires at least the same minimum number of
hours of weekly attendance as are required by paragraph (a)(1) of this
section for courses offered on a clock-hour basis. If the educational
institution does not require at least the same minimum number of hours
of weekly attendance as are required in paragraph (a)(1) of this
section, VA will not apply the provisions of paragraph (c) of this
section, but will measure the course according to the criteria in
paragraph (a)(1) of this section. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3688(a)(7))

\(c\) *Undergraduate, graduate, professional, and on-the-job training
courses.* Collegiate graduate, professional and on-the-job training
courses shall be measured as stated in this table. This shall be used
for measurement of collegiate undergraduate courses subject to all the
measurement criteria of §21.4272. Clock hours and sessions mentioned in
this table mean clock hours and class sessions per week. (Authority: 38
U.S.C. 3482, 3532, 3677, 3687, 3688)

**Courses**

***Kind of school:*** Collegiate undergraduate.

***Kind of course:*** Standard collegiate courses including cooperative
and external degree programs. (1)

***Full time:*** 14 semester hours or equivalent. (2)

***3/4 time:*** 10 through 13 semester hours or equivalent.

***1/2 time:*** 7 through 9 semester hours or equivalent.

***Less than 1/2 time; more than 1/4 time:*** 4 through 6 semester hours
or equivalent.

***1/4 time or less:*** 1 through 3 semester hours or equivalent.

***Kind of school:*** Collegiate graduate.

***Kind of course:*** Standard collegiate graduate courses including law
and external degree programs. (1)

***Full time:*** 14 semester hours or equivalent or as certified by a
responsible official of the school. (2)

***3/4 time:*** 10 through 13 semester hours or equivalent or as
certified by a responsible official of the school.

***1/2 time:*** 7 through 9 semester hours or equivalent or as certified
by a responsible official of the school.

***Less than 1/2 time; more than 1/4 time:*** 4 through 6 semester hours
or equivalent or as certified by a responsible official of the school.

***1/4 time or less:*** 1 through 3 semester hours or equivalent or as
certified by a responsible official of the school.

***Kind of school:*** Professional nonaccredited.

***Kind of course:*** Law only. (3)

***Full time:*** 12 class sessions per week.

***3/4 time:*** 9 through 11 class sessions per week.

***1/2 time:*** 6 through 8 class sessions per week.

***Less than 1/2 time; more than 1/4 time:*** 4 through 5 class sessions
per week.

***1/4 time or less:*** 1 through 3 class sessions per week.

***Kind of school:*** Professional accredited and equivalent.

***Kind of course:*** Internships and residencies; Medical, Dental,
Osteopathic.

***Full time:*** As established by accrediting association.

***3/4 time:*** As established by accrediting association or entity
offering the internship or residency.

***1/2 time:*** As established by accrediting association or entity
offering the internship or residency.

***Less than 1/2 time; more than 1/4 time:*** As established by
accrediting association or entity offering the internship or residency.

***1/4 time or less:*** As established by accrediting association or
entity offering the internship or residency.

***Kind of school:*** Professional accredited and equivalent.

***Kind of course:*** Nursing, X-ray, medical technology, medical
records librarian, physical therapy. (4)

***Full time:*** 18 clock hours or 14 semester hours, as appropriate.

***3/4 time:*** 13 through 17 clock hours or 10 through 13 semester
hours, as appropriate.

***1/2 time:*** 9 through 12 clock hours or 7 through 9 semester hours,
as appropriate.

***Less than 1/2 time; more than 1/4 time:*** 5 through 8 clock hours or
4 through 6 semester hours, as appropriate.

***1/4 time or less:*** 1 through 4 clock hours or less than 4 semester
hours, as appropriate.

***Kind of school:*** Training establishment.

***Kind of course:*** Apprentice or other on-the-job. (5)

***Full time:*** Standard work week.

***3/4 time:*** Full time only.

***1/2 time:*** Full time only.

***Less than 1/2 time; more than 1/4 time:*** Full time only.

***1/4 time or less:*** \-\--

***Kind of school:*** Agricultural.

***Kind of course:*** Farm Cooperative. (6)

***Full time:*** 10 clock hours net instruction. (7)

***3/4 time:*** 7 clock hours net instruction.

***1/2 time:*** 5 clock hours net instruction.

***Less than 1/2 time; more than 1/4 time:*** \-\--

***1/4 time or less:*** No provision

**Footnotes:**

\(1\) Cooperative courses may be measured on a full-time basis only.

\(2\) When the institution certifies that all undergraduate students
enrolled for a minimum of 12 or 13 semester hours or the equivalent are
charged full-time tuition, or considered full time for other
administrative purposes, such minimum hours will establish the criteria
for full-time measurement. When 12 hours is properly certified as full
time, VA will measure 9 through 11 hours as 3/4 time, 6 through 8 hours
as 1/2 time, 4 through 5 hours as less than 1/2 time and more than 1/4
time, and 1 through 3 hours as 1/4 time or less. VA will measure all
other undergraduate courses as indicated in the table for undergraduate
or professional courses, as appropriate, but when 13 credit hours or the
equivalent is certified as full time, 3/4 time will be 10 through 12
hours. When, in accordance with §21.4273(a), a responsible official of a
school certifies that a lesser number of hours constitute full time, 3/4
time, 1/2 time, less than 1/2 time and more than 1/4 time, or 1/4 time
or less, VA will accept the certification for measurement purposes.

To meet criteria for full-time measurement in standard collegiate
courses which include required noncredit deficiency courses, in the
absence of a certification under §21.4272(k), VA will convert the
noncredit deficiency courses on the basis of the applicable measurement
criteria, as follows: 18 or 22 clock hours, 4 "Carnegie Units," or 12,
13, or 14 (as appropriate) semester hours equal full time. The
credit-hour equivalent of such noncredit courses may constitute any
portion of the required hours for full-time measurement.

\(3\) Class sessions measured on basis of not less than 50 minutes of
classroom instruction. Supervised study periods, class breaks and rest
periods are excluded.

\(4\) Supervised study must be excluded.

\(5\) Full-time training will consist of the number of hours which
constitute the standard workweek of the training establishment, but not
less than 30 hours unless a lesser number of hours is established as the
standard workweek for the particular establishment through bona fide
collective bargaining between employers and employees.

\(6\) In measuring net instruction there will be included customary
intervals not to exceed 10 minutes between classes. Shop practice and
rest periods are excluded. Supervised instruction periods in school s
shops in farm cooperative programs and the time involved in field trips
and individual and group instruction may be included in computing the
clock hour requirements.

\(7\) For full-time training the 440 clock hours a year may be
prescheduled to provide not less than 80 clock hours in any 3-month
period.

\[44 FR 62503, Oct. 31, 1979, as amended at 45 FR 73479, Nov. 5, 1980;
48 FR 37992, Aug. 22, 1983; 50 FR 21605, May 28, 1985; 50 FR 43135, Oct.
24, 1985; 54 FR 48549, Dec. 1, 1988; 54 FR 33891, Aug. 17, 1989; 57 FR
29804, July 7, 1992; 61 FR 6784, Feb. 22, 1996; 62 FR 55760, Oct. 28,
1997\]

**Supplement *Highlights* reference**: 23(1)

*Next Section is §21.4272*