§ 3512. Periods of eligibility
(a)
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—
(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
(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 August 1, 1962, pursuant to
(B)
an extension of enlistment, appointment, or period of duty with the Armed Forces pursuant to section 2 of Public Law 87–117); however, in no event shall such period be extended beyond the person’s thirty-first birthday by reason of this paragraph;
(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 clause; [1]
(7)
(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 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.
(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)
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
(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)
Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, an eligible person may be afforded educational assistance beyond the age limitation applicable to such person under such subsection if
(1)
such 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,
(2)
such person is unable to complete such program after the period of suspension and before attaining the age limitation applicable to such person under such subsection, and
(3)
the Secretary finds that the suspension was due to conditions beyond the control of such person; but in no event shall educational assistance be afforded such person by reason of this subsection beyond the age limitation applicable to such person under subsection (a) of this section plus a period of time equal to the period such person was required to suspend the pursuit of such person’s program, or beyond such person’s thirty-first birthday, whichever is earlier.
(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)
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.
(h)
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.
[1] So in original. Probably should be “this paragraph”.