Post-Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance
Published on AidPage by
IDILOGIC on Jun 24, 2005
Purpose of this program:
To provide educational assistance to persons entering the Armed Forces after December 31, 1976, and before July 1, 1985; to assist persons in obtaining an education they might otherwise not be able to afford; and to promote and assist the all volunteer military program of the United States by attracting qualified persons to serve in the Armed Forces. In addition, individuals who were on active duty on September 30, 1990, or after November 29, 1993, and who are involuntarily separated from active duty after February 2, 1991, may elect Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) benefits. However, they must have their basic pay reduced by $1,200. Similarly, those who are voluntarily separated after October 23, 1992, under the Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) or the Special Separation Benefit (SSB) programs, may make such an election. They too must have their basic pay reduced by $1,200. Recent law was changed to permit additional VEAP individuals to elect benefits under the MGIB. To be eligible the individual must have been a participant under chapter 32 on or before October 9, 1996, and must continuously serve on active duty since October 9, 1996, through at least April 1, 2000. There are some other eligibility criteria which must be met. VEAP participants must make this election by November 1, 2001. If you think you may be eligible for the election, you should contact the nearest VA regional office.
Possible uses and use restrictions...
Participants may select a program of education to assist them in attaining an educational, professional or vocational objective at any approved educational institution they choose which will accept them as students or trainees. Enrollments in certain courses, such as those which are vocational or recreational in nature, may not be approved. Individuals may pursue certain flight training. Benefits may also be paid for any test that is necessary for licensing and certification needed to enter, maintain, or advance into employment in certain civilian occupations.
Who is eligible to apply...
The participant must have served honorably on active duty for more than 180 continuous days beginning on or after January 1, 1977, or have been discharged after such date because of a service-connected disability. Also eligible are participants who serve for more than 180 days and who continue on active duty and have completed their first period of obligated service (or 6 years of active duty, whichever comes first). Participants must also have satisfactorily contributed to the program. (Satisfactory contribution consists of monthly deduction of $25 to $100 from military pay, up to a maximum of $2,700, for deposit in a special training fund.) Participants may make lump-sum contributions. No individuals on active duty in the Armed Forces may initially begin contributing to this program after March 31, 1987.
Credentials/Documentation
Military discharge certificate, certification of enrollment by educational institution in approved courses leading to an educational, professional or vocational objective and such other certifications as may be developed by VA and the Department of Defense.
Note:This is a brief description of the credentials or documentation required prior to, or along with, an application for assistance.
About this section:
This section indicates who can apply to the Federal government for assistance and the criteria the potential applicant must satisfy.
For example, individuals may be eligible for research grants, and the criteria to be satisfied may be that they have a professional or scientific degree,
3 years of research experience, and be a citizen of the United States. Universities, medical schools, hospitals, or State and local governments may also be eligible.
Where State governments are eligible, the type of State agency will be indicated (State welfare agency or State agency on aging) and the criteria that they
must satisfy.
Certain federal programs (e.g., the Pell Grant program which provides grants to students) involve intermediate levels of application processing, i.e., applications
are transmitted through colleges or universities that are neither the direct applicant nor the ultimate beneficiary. For these programs,
the criteria that the intermediaries must satisfy are also indicated, along with intermediaries who are not eligible.
How to apply...
Application Procedure:
An application form (VA Form 22-1990) may be obtained from any VA office or regional office and submitted to the appropriate VA regional processing office.
Note: Each program will indicate whether applications are to be submitted to the Federal headquarters, regional or local office, or to a State or local government office.
Award Procedure:
Awards are authorized at the designated VA Regional Processing Office.
Note: Grant payments may be made by a letter of credit, advance by Treasury check, or reimbursement by Treasury check.
Awards may be made by the headquarters office directly to the applicant, an agency field office, a regional office,
or by an authorized county office. The assistance may pass through the initial applicant for further distribution by
intermediate level applicants to groups or individuals in the private sector.
Deadlines and process...
Deadlines
Generally, eligibility ceases at the end of 10 years from the date of the participant's last discharge or release from qualifying active duty after January 1, 1977. Participants may use their entitlement at any time during this 10-year period and are not required to use it in consecutive months. The basic 10-year period may be extended for those veterans who were prevented from beginning or completing their chosen program of education because they were held by a foreign government or power or because of a physical or mental disability not the result of their own willful misconduct. The 10-year period can also be extended for those who reenter active duty for 90 days or more after becoming eligible.
Note:
When available, this section indicates the deadlines for applications to the funding agency which will
be stated in terms of the date(s) or between what dates the application should be received.
When not available, applicants should contact the funding agency for deadline information.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
At least 72.2 percent of applications are processed within 90 days or less.
Preapplication Coordination
None. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Note:
This section indicates whether any prior coordination or approval is required with governmental or nongovernmental units
prior to the submission of a formal application to the federal funding agency.
Appeals
Appeals are available through a special board; response time is 220 days.
Note:
In some cases, there are no provisions for appeal. Where applicable, this section discusses appeal procedures or allowable rework time for resubmission
of applications to be processed by the funding agency. Appeal procedures vary with individual programs and are either listed in this section or
applicants are referred to appeal procedures documented in the relevant Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
Renewals
None.
Note:
In some instances, renewal procedures may be the same as for the application procedure, e.g., for projects of a non-continuing nature renewals will be treated as new, competing applications; for projects of an ongoing nature, renewals may be given annually.
Who can benefit...
Post-Vietnam era veterans.
Beneficiaries
About this section:
This section lists the ultimate beneficiaries of a program, the criteria they must satisfy and who specifically is not eligible. The applicant and beneficiary will generally be the same for programs that provide assistance directly from a Federal agency. However, financial assistance that passes through State or local governments will have different applicants and beneficiaries since the assistance is transmitted to private sector beneficiaries who are not obligated to request or apply for the assistance.
What types of assistance...
Direct Payments for Specified Use
Financial assistance from the Federal government provided directly to individuals, private firms, and other private institutions to encourage or subsidize a particular activity by conditioning the receipt of the assistance on a particular performance by the recipient. This does not include solicited contracts for the procurement of goods and services for the Federal government.
How much financial aid...
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Up to a maximum of $8,100 of basic benefits. Work study allowances: Payment based on the higher of the Federal minimum wage or the State minimum wage where work is performed. Tutorial assistance up to a maximum of $1,200.
Note:
This section lists the representative range (smallest to largest) of the amount of financial assistance available. These figures are based upon funds awarded in the past fiscal year and the current fiscal year to date. Also indicated is an approximate average amount of awards which were made in the past and current fiscal years.
Obligations
(Direct Payments) FY 03 $8,659,000; FY 04 est $12,100,000; and FY 05 est $10,830,000.
Note:
The dollar amounts listed in this section represent obligations for the past fiscal year (PY), estimates for the current fiscal year (CY), and estimates for the budget fiscal year (BY) as reported by the Federal agencies. Obligations for non-financial assistance programs indicate the administrative expenses involved in the operation of a program.
Account Identification
36-8133-0-7-702.
Note:
Note: This 11-digit budget account identification code represents the account which funds a particular program.
This code should be consistent with the code given for the program area as specified in Appendix III of the Budget of the United States Government.
Examples of funded projects...
Not applicable.
About this section
This section indicates the different types of projects which have been funded in the past. Only projects funded under Project Grants or Direct Payments for Specified Use should be listed here. The examples give potential applicants an idea of the types of projects that may be accepted for funding. The agency should list at least five examples of the most recently funded projects.
Program accomplishments...
For fiscal year 2002, there were 1,179 trainees; estimates for fiscal year 2003 and fiscal year 2004 are 1,000 and 900 trainees, respectively.
Criteria for selecting proposals...
Not applicable.
Assistance considerations...
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Available within 10 years of first date of discharge or release from service or until the amount of money in the special fund, converted to months of entitlement (to a maximum of 36) is exhausted. Assistance checks generally to be released on a monthly basis.
Formula and Matching Requirements
Contributions to the program will be accumulated from service persons electing to participate in the program; the Department of Defense (DOD) matches the service person's contributions at a rate of $2 for each $1 contributed by the participant. In some cases, additional contributions may be made by DOD.
Note:
A formula may be based on population, per capita income, and other statistical factors. Applicants are informed whether there are any matching requirements to be met when participating in the cost of a project. In general, the matching share represents that portion of the project costs not borne by the Federal government. Attachment F of OMB Circular No. A-102 (Office of Management and Budget) sets forth the criteria and procedures for the evaluation of matching share requirements which may be cash or in-kind contributions made by State and local governments or other agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals to satisfy matching requirements of Federal grants or loans.
Cash contributions represent the grantees' cash outlay, including the outlay of money contributed to the grantee by other public agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals. When authorized by Federal regulation, Federal funds received from other grants may be considered as the grantees' cash contribution.
In-kind contributions represent the value of noncash contributions provided by the grantee, other public agencies and institutions, private organizations or individuals. In-kind contributions may consist of charges for real property and equipment, and value of goods and services directly benefiting and specifically identifiable to the grant program. When authorized by Federal legislation, property purchased with Federal funds may be considered as grantees' in-kind contribution.
Maintenance of effort (MOE) is a requirement contained in certain legislation, regulations, or administrative policies stating that a grantee must maintain a specified level of financial effort in a specific area in order to receive Federal grant funds, and that the Federal grant funds may be used only to supplement, not supplant, the level of grantee funds.
Post assistance requirements...
Reports
The educational allowance will not be paid if the participant does not pursue his or her course in accordance with established policies and regulations of the educational institution he or she attends, and is not making satisfactory progress as required by law and VA Regulations. Certification by the educational institution as to the participant's enrollment must be made for each period for which assistance is sought. Certifications for course enrollment and pursuit not leading to a standard college degree must be made monthly by the participant; for courses leading to a standard college degree, verifications of pursuit are required.
Note:
This section indicates whether program reports, expenditure reports, cash reports or performance monitoring are required by the Federal funding agency, and specifies at what time intervals (monthly, annually, etc.) this must be accomplished.
Audits
None.
Note:
This section discusses audits required by the Federal agency.
The procedures and requirements for State and local governments and nonprofit entities are set forth in OMB Circular No. A-133.
These requirements pertain to awards made within the respective State's fiscal year - not the Federal fiscal year,
as some State and local governments may use the calendar year or other variation of time span designated as the fiscal year period,
rather than that commonly known as the Federal fiscal year (from October 1st through September 30th).
Records
None.
Note:
This section indicates the record retention requirements and the type of records the Federal agency may require.
Not included are the normally imposed requirements of the General Accounting Office.
For programs falling under the purview of OMB Circular No. A-102, record retention is set forth in Attachment C.
For other programs, record retention is governed by the funding agency's requirements.
Regulations...
Authorization
Public Laws 94-502, 99-576, 100-689, 101-237, 102- 16, 102-127, 102-484, 102-568, 103-446, 104-275, 105-114, 105-368; 106- 117, 106-419, 107-103; 38 U.S.C. 3221.
Note:
This section lists the legal authority upon which a program is based (acts, amendments to acts, Public Law numbers, titles, sections, Statute Codes, citations to the U.S. Code, Executive Orders, Presidential Reorganization Plans, and Memoranda from an agency head).
Regulations, Guidelines, And Literature
38 CFR 21.5001 - 21.5270 "Federal Benefits For Veterans and Dependents," VA Pamphlet 80-01-1, $5.00, available from Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954.