§ 3032. Limitations on educational assistance for certain individuals

(a) In the case of an individual entitled to educational assistance under this chapter who is pursuing a program of education—

(1) while on active duty; or

(2) on less than a half-time basis,

the amount of the monthly educational assistance allowance payable to such individual under this chapter is the amount determined under subsection (b) of this section.

(b) The amount of the educational assistance allowance payable to an individual described in subsection (a) of this section is the least of the following: (1) the amount of the educational assistance allowance otherwise payable to such individual under this chapter, (2) the established charges for tuition and fees that the educational institution involved requires similarly circumstanced nonveterans enrolled in the same program to pay, or (3) the amount of the charges of the educational institution elected by the individual under section 3014(b)(1) of this title.

(c)

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the amount of the monthly educational assistance allowance payable to an individual pursuing a full-time program of apprenticeship or other on-job training under this chapter is—

(A) for each of the first six months of the individual’s pursuit of such program, 75 percent of the monthly educational assistance allowance otherwise payable to such individual under this chapter;

(B) for each of the second six months of the individual’s pursuit of such program, 55 percent of such monthly educational assistance allowance; and

(C) for each of the months following the first 12 months of the individual’s pursuit of such program, 35 percent of such monthly educational assistance allowance.

(2) In any month in which an individual pursuing a program of education consisting of a program of apprenticeship or other on-job training fails to complete 120 hours of training, the amount of monthly educational assistance allowance payable under this chapter to the individual shall be limited to the same proportion of the applicable rate determined under paragraph (1) of this subsection as the number of hours worked during such month, rounded to the nearest eight hours, bears to 120 hours.

(3)

(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, for each month that an individual is paid a monthly educational assistance allowance under this chapter, the individual’s entitlement under this chapter shall be charged at the rate of—

(i) 75 percent of a month in the case of payments made in accordance with paragraph (1)(A) of this subsection;

(ii) 55 percent of a month in the case of payments made in accordance with paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection; and

(iii) 35 percent of a month in the case of payments made in accordance with paragraph (1)(C) of this subsection.

(B) Any such charge to the individual’s entitlement shall be reduced proportionately in accordance with the reduction in payment under paragraph (2) of this subsection.

(d)

(1)

(A) The amount of the educational assistance allowance payable under this chapter to an individual who enters into an agreement to pursue, and is pursuing, a program of education exclusively by correspondence is an amount equal to 55 percent of the established charge which the institution requires nonveterans to pay for the course or courses pursued by such individual.

(B) For purposes of this paragraph, the term “established charge” means the lesser of—

(i) the charge for the course or courses determined on the basis of the lowest extended time payment plan offered by the institution and approved by the appropriate State approving agency; or

(ii) the actual charge to the individual for such course or courses.

(2) Such allowance shall be paid quarterly on a pro rata basis for the lessons completed by the individual and serviced by the institution.

(3) In each case in which the rate of payment to an individual is determined under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the period of entitlement of such individual under this chapter shall be charged at the rate of one month for each payment of educational assistance to the individual that is equal to the amount of monthly educational assistance the individual would otherwise be eligible to receive for full-time pursuit of an institutional course under this chapter.

(e)

(1) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, each individual who is pursuing a program of education consisting exclusively of flight training approved as meeting the requirements of section 3034(d) of this title shall be paid an educational assistance allowance under this chapter in the amount equal to 60 percent of the established charges for tuition and fees which similarly circumstanced nonveterans enrolled in the same flight course are required to pay.

(2) No educational assistance allowance may be paid under this chapter to an individual for any month during which such individual is pursuing a program of education consisting exclusively of flight training until the Secretary has received from that individual and the institution providing such training a certification of the flight training received by the individual during that month and the tuition and other fees charged for that training.

(3) The number of months of entitlement charged in the case of any individual for a program of education described in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be equal to the number (including any fraction) determined by dividing the total amount of educational assistance paid such individual for such program by the monthly rate of educational assistance which, except for paragraph (1) of this subsection, such individual would otherwise be paid under subsection (a)(1), (b)(1), (d), or (e)(1) of section 3015 of this title, as the case may be.

(4) The number of solo flying hours for which an individual may be paid an educational assistance allowance under this subsection may not exceed the minimum number of solo flying hours required by the Federal Aviation Administration for the flight rating or certification which is the goal of the individual’s flight training.

(f)

(1) Subject to paragraph (3), the amount of educational assistance payable under this chapter for a licensing or certification test described in section 3452(b) of this title is the lesser of $2,000 or the fee charged for the test.

(2) The number of months of entitlement charged in the case of any individual for such licensing or certification test is equal to the number (including any fraction) determined by dividing the total amount of educational assistance paid such individual for such test by the full-time monthly institutional rate of educational assistance which, except for paragraph (1), such individual would otherwise be paid under subsection (a)(1), (b)(1), (d), or (e)(1) of section 3015 of this title, as the case may be.

(3) In no event shall payment of educational assistance under this subsection for such a test exceed the amount of the individual’s available entitlement under this chapter.

(g)

(1) Subject to paragraph (3), the amount of educational assistance payable under this chapter for a national test for admission or national test providing an opportunity for course credit at institutions of higher learning described in section 3452(b) of this title is the amount of the fee charged for the test.

(2) The number of months of entitlement charged in the case of any individual for a test described in paragraph (1) is equal to the number (including any fraction) determined by dividing the total amount of educational assistance paid such individual for such test by the full-time monthly institutional rate of educational assistance, except for paragraph (1), such individual would otherwise be paid under subsection (a)(1), (b)(1), (d), or (e)(1) of section 3015 of this title, as the case may be.

(3) In no event shall payment of educational assistance under this subsection for a test described in paragraph (1) exceed the amount of the individual’s available entitlement under this chapter.

(Added Pub. L. 98–525, title VII, § 702(a)(1), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2561, § 1432; amended Pub. L. 99–576, title III, § 301(b), (d)(1), Oct. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 3267, 3268; Pub. L. 100–689, title I, §§ 108(a)(2), 111(a)(7)(A), (8), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4169, 4172; Pub. L. 101–237, title IV, § 422(a)(2), Dec. 18, 1989, 103 Stat. 2089; Pub. L. 102–16, § 10(a)(3), Mar. 22, 1991, 105 Stat. 55; renumbered § 3032 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), (c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406; Pub. L. 102–568, title III, § 310(a), Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4329; Pub. L. 103–446, title XII, § 1201(d)(6), Nov. 2, 1994, 108 Stat. 4684; Pub. L. 104–275, title I, § 105(a), Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3327; Pub. L. 106–419, title I, § 122(b)(1), Nov. 1, 2000, 114 Stat. 1833; Pub. L. 107–14, § 7(b)(2)(B), June 5, 2001, 115 Stat. 32; Pub. L. 108–454, title I, § 106(b)(1), Dec. 10, 2004, 118 Stat. 3602.)

Amendments

Amendments

2004—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 108–454 added subsec. (g).

2001—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 107–14 substituted “the least of the following:” for “the lesser of” and added cl. (3).

2000—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 106–419 added subsec. (f).

1996—Subsecs. (d) to (f). Pub. L. 104–275 redesignated subsecs. (e) and (f) as (d) and (e), respectively, and struck out former subsec. (d) which read as follows:

“(d)(1) The amount of the monthly educational assistance allowance payable to an individual pursuing a cooperative program under this chapter shall be 80 percent of the monthly allowance otherwise payable to such individual under section 3015 and section 3022, if applicable, of this title.

“(2) For each month that an individual is paid a monthly educational assistance allowance for pursuit of a cooperative program under this chapter, the individual’s entitlement under this chapter shall be charged at the rate of 80 percent of a month.”

1994—Subsec. (f)(3). Pub. L. 103–446 substituted “(d), or (e)(1)” for “(c), or (d)(1)”.

1992—Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 102–568, § 310(a)(1), struck out “(other than tuition and fees charged for or attributable to solo flying hours)” after “for tuition and fees”.

Subsec. (f)(4). Pub. L. 102–568, § 310(a)(2), added par. (4).

1991—Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), renumbered section 1432 of this title as this section.

Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(c)(1), substituted “3015” for “1415” and “3022” for “1422”.

Subsec. (f)(1). Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(c)(1), substituted “3034(d)” for “1434(d)”.

Subsec. (f)(3). Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(c)(1), substituted “3015” for “1415”.

Pub. L. 102–16 substituted “(c), or (d)(1)” for “or (c)”.

1989—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 101–237 added subsec. (f).

1988—Subsec. (c)(3)(A). Pub. L. 100–689, § 111(a)(8)(A), (B), designated existing provision as subpar. (A) and substituted “Except as provided in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, for” for “For”, and redesignated subpars. (A) to (C) as cls. (i) to (iii), respectively.

Subsec. (c)(3)(B). Pub. L. 100–689, § 111(a)(8)(C), added subpar. (B).

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 100–689, § 108(a)(2), added subsec. (d).

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 100–689, § 111(a)(7)(A), added subsec. (e).

1986—Pub. L. 99–576, § 301(d)(1), substituted “Limitations” for “Limitation” in section catchline.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 99–576, § 301(b), added subsec. (c).

Effective Date Of Amendment

Effective Date of 2001 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 107–14 effective as if enacted on Nov. 1, 2000, immediately after the enactment of Pub. L. 106–419, see section 7(b)(3) of Pub. L. 107–14, set out as a note under section 3014 of this title.

Effective Date of 2000 Amendment

Pub. L. 106–419, title I, § 122(d), Nov. 1, 2000, 114 Stat. 1837, provided that: “The amendments made by this section [enacting section 3689 of this title and amending this section and sections 3232, 3452, 3482, 3501, and 3532 of this title] shall take effect on March 1, 2001, and shall apply with respect to licensing and certification tests approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on or after such date.”

Effective Date of 1992 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 102–568 applicable to flight training received under this chapter, chapter 32 of this title, and chapter 106 of Title 10, Armed Forces, after Sept. 30, 1992, see section 310(d) of Pub. L. 102–568, set out as a note under section 16131 of Title 10.

Effective Date of 1989 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 101–237 effective Sept. 30, 1990, see section 422(d) of Pub. L. 101–237, set out as a note under section 16131 of Title 10, Armed Forces.

Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

Amendment by section 108(a)(2) of Pub. L. 100–689 effective Jan. 1, 1989, see section 108(c) of Pub. L. 100–689, set out as a note under section 3002 of this title.

Miscellaneous

Increase in Benefit for Individuals Pursuing Apprenticeship or On-Job Training; Montgomery GI Bill

Pub. L. 108–454, title I, § 103(a), Dec. 10, 2004, 118 Stat. 3600, provided that: “For months beginning on or after October 1, 2005, and before January 1, 2008, subsection (c)(1) of section 3032 of title 38, United States Code, shall be applied as if—

“(1) the reference to ‘75 percent’ in subparagraph (A) were a reference to ‘85 percent’;

“(2) the reference to ‘55 percent’ in subparagraph (B) were a reference to ‘65 percent’; and

“(3) the reference to ‘35 percent’ in subparagraph (C) were a reference to ‘45 percent’.”