38 USC 3512 - Periods of eligibility

View all text of Subchapter II [§ 3510 - § 3514]

§ 3512. Periods of eligibility

(a) Except as provided in subsection (g), the educational assistance to which an eligible person whose eligibility is based on the death or disability of a parent or on a parent being listed in one of the categories referred to in section 3501(a)(1)(C) of this title is entitled under section 3511 of this title or subchapter V of this chapter may be afforded the person during the period beginning on the person’s eighteenth birthday, or on the successful completion of the person’s secondary schooling, whichever first occurs, and ending on the person’s twenty-sixth birthday, except that—

(1) if the person is above the age of compulsory school attendance under applicable State law, and the Secretary determines that the person’s best interests will be served thereby, such period may begin before the person’s eighteenth birthday;

(2) if the person has a mental or physical handicap, and the Secretary determines that the person’s best interests will be served by pursuing a program of special restorative training or a specialized course of vocational training approved under section 3536 of this title, such period may begin before the person’s eighteenth birthday, but not before the person’s fourteenth birthday;

(3) if the Secretary first finds that the parent from whom eligibility is derived has a service-connected total disability permanent in nature, or if the death of the parent from whom eligibility is derived occurs, after the eligible person’s eighteenth birthday but before the person’s twenty-sixth birthday, then (unless paragraph (4) or (5) applies) such period shall end 8 years after the date that is elected by that person to be the beginning date of entitlement under section 3511 of this title or subchapter V of this chapter if—

(A) the Secretary approves that beginning date;

(B) the eligible person elects that beginning date by not later than the end of the 60-day period beginning on the date on which the Secretary provides written notice to that person of that person’s opportunity to make such election, such notice including a statement of the deadline for the election imposed under this subparagraph; and

(i) in the case of a person whose eligibility is based on a parent who has a service-connected total disability permanent in nature, is the date determined pursuant to subsection (d), or any date between the two dates described in subsection (d); and

(ii) in the case of a person whose eligibility is based on the death of a parent, is between—(I) the date of the parent’s death; and(II) the date of the Secretary’s decision that the death was service-connected;

(4) if the person otherwise eligible under paragraph (3) fails to elect a beginning date of entitlement in accordance with that paragraph, the beginning date of the person’s entitlement shall be the date of the Secretary’s decision that the parent has a service-connected total disability permanent in nature, or that the parent’s death was service-connected, whichever is applicable;

(5) if the person serves on duty with the Armed Forces as an eligible person after the person’s eighteenth birthday but before the person’s twenty-sixth birthday, then such period shall end 8 years after the person’s first discharge or release from such duty with the Armed Forces (excluding from such 8 years all periods during which the eligible person served on active duty before

(6) if the person becomes eligible by reason of a parent being listed in one of the categories referred to in section 3501(a)(1)(C) of this title after the person’s eighteenth birthday but before the person’s twenty-sixth birthday, then (unless paragraph (5) applies) such period shall end eight years after the date on which the person becomes eligible by reason of such provisions, but in no event shall such period be extended beyond the person’s thirty-first birthday by reason of this paragraph;

(7)

(A) if such person is enrolled in an educational institution regularly operated on the quarter or semester system and such period ends during a quarter or semester, such period shall be extended to the end of the quarter or semester; or

(B) if such person is enrolled in an educational institution operated on other than a quarter or semester system and such period ends after a major portion of the course is completed, such period shall be extended to the end of the course, or until 12 weeks have expired, whichever first occurs; and

(8) if the person is pursuing a preparatory course described in section 3002(3)(B) of this title, such period may begin on the date that is the first day of such course pursuit, notwithstanding that such date may be before the person’s eighteenth birthday, except that in no case may such person be afforded educational assistance under this chapter for pursuit of secondary schooling unless such course pursuit would otherwise be authorized under this subsection.

(b)

(1)

(A) Except as provided in subsection (g) or subparagraph (B), (C), or (D), a person made eligible by subparagraph (B) or (D) of section 3501(a)(1) of this title or a person made eligible by the disability of a spouse under section 3501(a)(1)(E) of this title may be afforded educational assistance under this chapter during the 10-year period beginning on the date (as determined by the Secretary) the person becomes an eligible person within the meaning of section 3501(a)(1)(B), 3501(a)(1)(D)(i), 3501(a)(1)(D)(ii), or 3501(a)(1)(E) of this title. In the case of a surviving spouse made eligible by clause (ii) of section 3501(a)(1)(D) of this title, the 10-year period may not be reduced by any earlier period during which the person was eligible for educational assistance under this chapter as a spouse made eligible by clause (i) of that section.

(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), an eligible person referred to in that subparagraph may, subject to the Secretary’s approval, elect a later beginning date for the 10-year period than would otherwise be applicable to the person under that subparagraph. The beginning date so elected may be any date between the beginning date determined for the person under subparagraph (A) and whichever of the following dates applies:

(i) The date on which the Secretary notifies the veteran from whom eligibility is derived that the veteran has a service-connected total disability permanent in nature.

(ii) The date on which the Secretary determines that the veteran from whom eligibility is derived died of a service-connected disability.

(iii) The date on which the Secretary notifies the member of the Armed Forces from whom eligibility is derived that the member has a total disability permanent in nature incurred or aggravated in the line of duty in the active military, naval, air, or space service.

(C) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), an eligible person referred to in that subparagraph who is made eligible under section 3501(a)(1)(B) of this title by reason of the death of a person on active duty may be afforded educational assistance under this chapter during the 20-year period beginning on the date (as determined by the Secretary) such person becomes an eligible person within the meaning of such section.

(D) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), an eligible person referred to in that subparagraph who is made eligible under section 3501(a)(1)(D)(i) of this title by reason of a service-connected disability that was determined to be a total disability permanent in nature not later than three years after discharge from service may be afforded educational assistance under this chapter during the 20-year period beginning on the date the disability was so determined to be a total disability permanent in nature, but only if the eligible person remains the spouse of the disabled person throughout the period.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (g), notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection, in the case of any eligible person (as defined in section 3501(a)(1)(B), (C), (D), or (E) of this title) whose eligibility is based on the death or disability of a spouse or on a spouse being listed in one of the categories referred to in section 3501(a)(1)(C) of this title who was prevented from initiating or completing such person’s chosen program of education within such period because of a physical or mental disability which was not the result of such person’s own willful misconduct, such person shall, upon application made within one year after (A) the last date of the delimiting period otherwise applicable under this section, (B) the termination of the period of mental or physical disability, or (C) October 1, 1980, whichever is the latest, be granted an extension of the applicable delimiting period for such length of time as the Secretary determines, from the evidence, that such person was so prevented from initiating or completing such program of education. When an extension of the applicable delimiting period is granted under the exception in the preceding sentence, the delimiting period will again begin running on the first day following such eligible person’s recovery from such disability on which it is reasonably feasible, as determined in accordance with regulations which the Secretary shall prescribe, for such eligible person to initiate or resume pursuit of a program of education with educational assistance under this chapter.

(c)

(1) Notwithstanding subsection (a) and subject to paragraph (2), an eligible person may be afforded educational assistance beyond the age limitation applicable to the person under such subsection if—

(A) the person suspends pursuit of such person’s program of education after having enrolled in such program within the time period applicable to such person under such subsection;

(B) the person is unable to complete such program after the period of suspension and before attaining the age limitation applicable to the person under such subsection; and

(i) The actions of the person as the primary provider of personal care services for a veteran or member of the Armed Forces under section 1720G(a) of this title.

(ii) Conditions otherwise beyond the control of the person.

(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to the period of an individual as a primary provider of personal care services if the period concludes with the revocation of the individual’s designation as such a primary provider under section 1720G(a)(7)(D) of this title.

(3) Educational assistance may not be afforded a person under paragraph (1) after the earlier of—

(A) the age limitation applicable to the person under subsection (a), plus a period of time equal to the period the person was required to suspend pursuit of the person’s program of education as described in paragraph (1); or

(B) the date of the person’s thirty-first birthday.

(d) The term “first finds” as used in this section means the effective date of the rating or date of notification to the person from whom eligibility is derived establishing a service-connected total disability permanent in nature whichever is more advantageous to the eligible person.

(e) Except as provided in subsection (g), no person made eligible by section 3501(a)(1)(C) of this title based on a spouse being listed in one of the categories referred to in section 3501(a)(1)(C) of this title may be afforded educational assistance under this chapter beyond 10 years after the date on which the spouse was so listed.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, if an eligible person, during the delimiting period otherwise applicable to such person under this section, serves on active duty pursuant to an order to active duty issued under section 688, 12301(a), 12301(d), 12301(g), 12302, or 12304 of title 10, or is involuntarily ordered to full-time National Guard duty under section 502(f) of title 32, such person shall be granted an extension of such delimiting period for the length of time equal to the period of such active duty plus four months.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the following persons may be afforded educational assistance under this chapter at any time after August 1, 2023, and without regard to the age of the person:

(1) A person who first becomes an eligible person on or after August 1, 2023.

(2) A person who—

(A) first becomes an eligible person before August 1, 2023; and

(B) becomes 18 years of age, or completes secondary schooling, on or after August 1, 2023.

(Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1194, § 1712; Pub. L. 87–815, § 2(a), Oct. 15, 1962, 76 Stat. 926; Pub. L. 87–819, § 2, Oct. 15, 1962, 76 Stat. 935; Pub. L. 88–361, § 3, July 7, 1964, 78 Stat. 297; Pub. L. 90–77, title III, § 307(a), Aug. 31, 1967, 81 Stat. 189; Pub. L. 90–631, § 2(e), Oct. 23, 1968, 82 Stat. 1333; Pub. L. 91–219, title II, § 208, Mar. 26, 1970, 84 Stat. 83; Pub. L. 91–584, § 3, Dec. 24, 1970, 84 Stat. 1575; Pub. L. 92–540, title IV, § 402(1), Oct. 24, 1972, 86 Stat. 1090; Pub. L. 93–337, § 2, July 10, 1974, 88 Stat. 292; Pub. L. 94–502, title III, §§ 304, 310(7)–(9), Oct. 15, 1976, 90 Stat. 2390, 2391; Pub. L. 95–202, title II, § 203(a)(2), (b)(2), Nov. 23, 1977, 91 Stat. 1439, 1440; Pub. L. 96–466, title III, §§ 321, 322, Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2195; Pub. L. 97–66, title VI, § 605(a), Oct. 17, 1981, 95 Stat. 1036; Pub. L. 97–295, § 4(44), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1308; Pub. L. 98–160, title VII, § 702(13), Nov. 21, 1983, 97 Stat. 1009; Pub. L. 99–576, title III, § 313, Oct. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 3273; Pub. L. 101–237, title IV, § 423(b)(1)(A), Dec. 18, 1989, 103 Stat. 2092; renumbered § 3512 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), (c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406; Pub. L. 106–419, title I, §§ 112, 114(b), Nov. 1, 2000, 114 Stat. 1831, 1833; Pub. L. 107–14, §§ 7(f)(1), 8(a)(6), June 5, 2001, 115 Stat. 33, 34; Pub. L. 107–103, title I, §§ 103(b), 108(b)(2), (c)(2), (3), Dec. 27, 2001, 115 Stat. 979, 985; Pub. L. 107–330, title III, § 308(e)(1), Dec. 6, 2002, 116 Stat. 2828; Pub. L. 108–183, title III, §§ 303(a), 306(f)(2), Dec. 16, 2003, 117 Stat. 2659, 2661; Pub. L. 108–454, title I, § 105, Dec. 10, 2004, 118 Stat. 3602; Pub. L. 109–444, § 3(b)(3), Dec. 21, 2006, 120 Stat. 3306; Pub. L. 109–461, title III, § 301(b)(3), title X, § 1006(b), Dec. 22, 2006, 120 Stat. 3426, 3468; Pub. L. 110–389, title III, § 321, Oct. 10, 2008, 122 Stat. 4168; Pub. L. 111–275, title X, § 1001(h), Oct. 13, 2010, 124 Stat. 2896; Pub. L. 111–377, title II, § 201(c), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 4124; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 926(a)(45), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3830; Pub. L. 117–328, div. U, title II, § 234, Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 5458.)