§ 3231. Entitlement; loan eligibility
(a)
(1)
Subject to the provisions of section
3695 of this title limiting the aggregate period for which any person may receive assistance under two or more programs of educational or vocational assistance administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, a participant shall be entitled to a maximum of 36 monthly benefit payments (or their equivalent in the event of part-time benefits).
(2)
Except as provided in paragraph (5)(E) of this subsection and in subsection (e) of this section and section
3233 of this title and subject to section
3241 of this title, the amount of the monthly payment to which any eligible veteran is entitled shall be ascertained by
(D)
dividing the sum by the lesser of 36 or the number of months in which contributions were made by such veteran.
(3)
Payment of benefits under this chapter may be made only for periods of time during which an eligible veteran is actually enrolled in and pursuing an approved program of education and, except as provided in paragraph (4), only after an eligible veteran has been discharged or released from active duty.
(4)
Payment of benefits under this chapter may be made after a participant has completed his or her first obligated period of active duty (which began after December 31, 1976), or 6 years of active duty (which began after December 31, 1976), whichever period is less.
(5)
(A)
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter or chapter
36 of this title, any payment of an educational assistance allowance described in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph—
(ii)
shall not be counted toward the aggregate period for which section
3695 of this title limits an individual’s receipt of assistance.
(B)
The payment of an educational assistance allowance referred to in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph is any payment of a monthly benefit under this chapter to an eligible veteran for pursuit of a course or courses under this chapter if the Secretary finds that the eligible veteran—
(i)
in the case of a person not serving on active duty, had to discontinue such course pursuit as a result of being ordered to serve on active duty under section
688,
12301
(a),
12301
(d),
12301
(g),
12302, or
12304 of title
10; or
(C)
The period for which, by reason of this subsection, an educational assistance allowance is not charged against entitlement or counted toward the applicable aggregate period under section
3695 of this title shall not exceed the portion of the period of enrollment in the course or courses for which the individual failed to receive credit or with respect to which the individual lost training time, as determined under subparagraph (B)(iii) of this paragraph.
(D)
The amount in the fund for each eligible veteran who received a payment of an educational assistance allowance described in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph shall be restored to the amount that would have been in the fund for the veteran if the payment had not been made. For purposes of carrying out the previous sentence, the Secretary of Defense shall deposit into the fund, on behalf of each such veteran, an amount equal to the entire amount of the payment made to the veteran.
(E)
In the case of a veteran who discontinues pursuit of a course or courses as described in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, the formula for ascertaining the amount of the monthly payment to which the veteran is entitled in paragraph (2) of this subsection shall be implemented as if—
(i)
the payment made to the fund by the Secretary of Defense under subparagraph (D) of this paragraph, and
(ii)
any payment for a course or courses described in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph that was paid out of the fund,
had not been made or paid.
(b)
Any enlisted member of the Armed Forces participating in the program shall be eligible to enroll in a course, courses, or program of education for the purpose of attaining a secondary school diploma (or an equivalency certificate), as authorized by section
3491
(a) of this title, during the last six months of such member’s first enlistment and at any time thereafter.
(c)
When an eligible veteran is pursuing a program of education under this chapter by correspondence, such eligible veteran’s entitlement shall be charged at the rate of 1 month’s entitlement for each month of benefits paid to the eligible veteran (computed on the basis of the formula provided in subsection (a)(2) of this section).
(d)
(1)
Subject to the provisions of paragraph (2) of this subsection, the amount of the educational assistance benefits paid to an eligible veteran who is pursuing a program of education under this chapter while incarcerated in a Federal, State, local, or other penal institution or correctional facility for conviction of a felony may not exceed the lesser of
(A)
such amount as the Secretary determines, in accordance with regulations which the Secretary shall prescribe, is necessary to cover the cost of established charges for tuition and fees required of similarly circumstanced nonveterans enrolled in the same program and the cost of necessary supplies, books, and equipment, or
(B)
the applicable monthly benefit payment otherwise prescribed in this section or section
3233 of this title. The amount of the educational assistance benefits payable to a veteran while so incarcerated shall be reduced to the extent that the tuition and fees of the veteran for any course are paid under any Federal program (other than a program administered by the Secretary) or under any State or local program.
(e)
(1)
Subject to subsection (a)(1) of this section, each individual who is pursuing a program of education consisting exclusively of flight training approved as meeting the requirements of section
3241
(b) of this title shall be paid educational assistance 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 payment 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 entitlement of an eligible veteran pursuing a program of education described in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be charged at the rate of one month for each amount of educational assistance paid which is equal to the monthly benefit otherwise payable to such veteran (computed on the basis of the formula provided in subsection (a)(2) of this section).
(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.