38 U.S.C. § 3512
Periods of eligibility
United States · Title 38 — VETERANS’ BENEFITS · Status: effective
Cite this
- Citation
- 38 U.S.C. § 3512, Periods of eligibility, United States, version 1 as recorded 2026-07-09, yourstate.us, https://yourstate.us/provision/473202
- Permanent ID
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Full text
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—
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—
that beginning date—
in the case of a person whose eligibility is based on the death of a parent, is between—
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:
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—
the Secretary finds that the suspension was due to either of the following:
Educational assistance may not be afforded a person under paragraph (1) after the earlier of—
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:
A person who—
Legislative history
The public laws that enacted or amended this section. Tallies are for the whole bill as it passed each chamber — often an omnibus covering far more than this provision — not a vote on this section alone. The law that originally enacted this section predates the public laws loaded here, so only later amendments are listed.
- An original bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide a 10-year delimiting period for the pursuit of educational programs by veterans, wives, and widows.House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Veterans' Education and Employment Assistance Act of 1976House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- GI Bill Improvement Act of 1977House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Veterans Rehabilitation and Education Amendments of 1980House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Veterans' Disability Compensation, Housing, and Memorial Benefits Amendments of 1981House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- A bill to amend titles 10, 14, 37, and 38, United States Code, to codify recent law and to improve the Code.House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Veterans Health Care Amendments of 1983House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Veterans' Benefits Improvement and Health Care Authorization Act of 1986House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Veterans' Benefits Amendments of 1989House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Department of Veterans Affairs Codification ActHouse: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2000House: 417–0Senate: no recorded tally
- Veterans' Survivor Benefits Improvements Act of 2001House: 417–0Senate: no recorded tally
- Veterans Education and Benefits Expansion Act of 2001House: 416–0Senate: no recorded tally
- Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2002House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Veterans Benefits Act of 2003House: 399–0Senate: no recorded tally
- Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2004House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Veterans Programs Extension Act of 2006House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Veterans' Benefits Act of 2010House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010House: 409–3Senate: no recorded tally
- William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021
- Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023House: 225–201Senate: no recorded tally