Keep your home BAH while you are at a long school

Step by step

1. 01

   Check that you qualify

   A long course at one place usually comes on PCS orders, so your BAH moves to the school's rate. A Secretarial waiver can keep it at your home rate if you are on Title 10 active duty, you get BAH at the with-dependents rate, the course is in the US, it is 12 months or less, and your family stays where they lived.

2. 02

   Start with S-1 before you leave

   Army Reserve requests go through your unit to the Army Reserve G-1 (OCAR G-1). They do not go to HRC or through an IPPS-A PAR. The waiver starts on the date it is received or approved.

   Most lost money comes from waiting. The waiver does not reach back before the day it was received, so start before you report.

3. 03

   Write your request memo

   Sign a memo that asks for the waiver and gives the reason (PME or training). Say that you agree to limited PCS entitlements. Use your DoD ID number, never your SSN. Your unit S-1 has the battalion's current memo on this.

4. 04

   Gather your documents

   Attach your PCS orders to the school (with the course title and dates), your orders to your old duty station, your current LES showing BAH with dependents, and the lease or mortgage for your family's home. An ATRRS printout of the class dates helps.

5. 05

   Get the field-grade endorsement

   If you are E-6 or below, or O-3 or below, the first field-grade officer in your chain must sign an endorsement. Warrant officers do not need one.

6. 06

   Send it through your unit

   Send the packet to S-1 by encrypted email. S-1 checks it and sends it on to the Army Reserve G-1. Requests with missing documents, an unsigned memo or no endorsement get sent back.

7. 07

   Take the approval to finance

   When it is approved, give a copy to your servicing finance office and to S-1. Ask S-1 if your orders need an amendment.

8. 08

   Do not ship household goods

   You agree to ship only your unaccompanied baggage: 500 pounds for enlisted, 600 for O-1 to O-3 and warrant officers, 800 for O-4 to O-6, including professional gear. Using any other part of your PCS move voids the waiver.

9. 09

   Watch the end date

   The waiver ends on the date in the approval memo. If your course runs longer, ask S-1 about an extension early. Extensions are case by case.

Why it gets kicked back

• ! This waiver is only for Soldiers paid BAH at the with-dependents rate. Without dependents, there is no waiver.
• ! Courses longer than 12 months do not qualify.
• ! Shipping household goods, or using any other part of the PCS move, voids the waiver.
• ! The waiver does not add family separation allowance (FSA) or family separation housing (FSH).
• ! Regular Army Soldiers use an IPPS-A PAR. Army Reserve Soldiers do not. Their requests go to the Army Reserve G-1.
• ! Some old templates ask for an SSN. Use your DoD ID instead.
• ! The last public Army message on routing (MILPER 24-109) expired in March 2026. Ask S-1 if anything changed.