Allowances make up the majority of a Service members pay. Allowances are a  monetary amount paid to an individual in lieu of furnished quarters and subsistence. There are a wide range of allowances, some of which are non-taxable and although many allowances exist, they also have a wide range of requirements.

Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) - BAH is paid to uniformed service members to provide housing compensation based on pay grade, zip code, and dependency status. It is payable when government quarters are not provided or when temporarily residing in barracks (i.e. basic training, job school, unaccompanied overseas assignment).

To determine how much BAH you are eligible to receive, use this BAH Calculator .

• To view the 2007 Rates for BAH II, Partial BAH, and BAH-Diff click here .
• To view the 2006 Rates for BAH II, Partial BAH, and BAH-Diff click here .

Basic Allowance for Subsistence - BAS is designed to continue the military tradition of providing room and board for service members as part of their pay. This allotment is for the service member only and is not intended to cover spouses and/or family members’ room and board costs. As of January 1, 2002, all enlisted military members in a good status draw a full BAS monthly rate (Officers - $187.49 and Enlisted-$272.26)  , but they are still required to pay for their own meals, even if provided by the government. 

Clothing Allowance - A clothing allowance is given to soldiers to help pay for a member’s uniform and other clothing costs. (view rates)

Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) - COLA is a cash allowance intended to enable an equitable standard of living in areas where cost of living is unusually high. Members permanently assigned to designated areas receive this entitlement. If the cost of living in the area where the member is assigned is the same or lower than the average in the U.S., COLA is not authorized.

Moving Housing Allowance (MIHA), Miscellaneous, Rent, and Security - Up front, lump sum payment covering average move-in cost. M IHA Rent - Acquisition fees, dollar for dollar reimbursement.  MIHA Security - High crime/threat areas only as determined by the Department of State.    

Note: Soldiers deploying from an area not qualifying for COLA are not entitled to COLA while deployed, even if the deployed location is a designated COLA area.

Overseas COLA - An allowance paid to service members stationed in high-cost areas overseas, including Alaska and Hawaii. The COLA helps maintain purchasing power to purchase about the same goods and services overseas as in the U.S. If the costs of living in the overseas area are the same as or lower than it would be on average in the U.S., overseas COLA is not allowed.

Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) - OHA is a monthly allowance paid to service members assigned to an OCONUS permanent duty station, except Hawaii and Alaska, who are authorized to live in private housing. OHA helps offset your housing costs, which are made up of: Rent, Utility and recurring maintenance expense, and Moving-in-housing Allowance (MIHA).  Although there is a separate allowance for rent and utilities, your housing allowance shows up as the total dollar amount in your pay statement.   

Family Separation Allowance - FSA is payable at $250.00 per month and accrues from the day of departure from the home station and ends the day prior to arrival at the home station, in addition to any per diem or other entitlements; service members with dependents and without dependents are eligible.

Temporary Lodging Allowance and Expenses -Temporary Lodging Allowance and Expenses are provided to partially reimburse a member for the more than normal expenses incurred while occupying temporary lodgings.