38 U.S.C. § 3316 (VETERANS’ BENEFITS)
§ 3316. Supplemental educational assistance: members with critical skills or specialty; members serving additional service
(a) Increased Assistance for Members With Critical Skills or Specialty.—
(1) In general.—
In the case of an individual who has a skill or specialty designated by the Secretary concerned as a skill or specialty in which there is a critical shortage of personnel or for which it is difficult to recruit or, in the case of critical units, retain personnel, the Secretary concerned may increase the monthly amount of educational assistance otherwise payable to the individual under paragraph (1)(B) of section 3313(c), or under paragraphs (2) through (7) of such section (as applicable).
(2) Maximum amount of increase in assistance.—
The amount of the increase in educational assistance authorized by paragraph (1) may not exceed the amount equal to the monthly amount of increased basic educational assistance providable under section 3015(d)(1) at the time of the increase under paragraph (1).
(b) Supplemental Assistance for Additional Service.—
(1) In general.—
The Secretary concerned may provide for the payment to an individual entitled to educational assistance under this chapter of supplemental educational assistance for additional service authorized by subchapter III of chapter 30. The amount so payable shall be payable as an increase in the monthly amount of educational assistance otherwise payable to the individual under paragraph (1)(B) of section 3313(c), or under paragraphs (2) through (7) of such section (as applicable).
(2) Eligibility.—
Eligibility for supplemental educational assistance under this subsection shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of subchapter III of chapter 30, except that any reference in such provisions to eligibility for basic educational assistance under a provision of subchapter II of chapter 30 shall be treated as a reference to eligibility for educational assistance under the appropriate provision of this chapter.
(3) Amount.—
The amount of supplemental educational assistance payable under this subsection shall be the amount equal to the monthly amount of supplemental educational assistance payable under section 3022.
(c) Continuation of Increased Educational Assistance.—
(1) In general.—
An individual who made an election to receive educational assistance under this chapter pursuant to section 5003(c)(1)(A) of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (38 U.S.C. 3301 note) and who, at the time of the election, was entitled to increased educational assistance under section 3015(d) or section 16131(i) of title 10 shall remain entitled to increased educational assistance in the utilization of the individual’s entitlement to educational assistance under this chapter.
(2) Rate.—
The monthly rate of increased educational assistance payable to an individual under paragraph (1) shall be—
(A) the rate of educational assistance otherwise payable to the individual under section 3015(d) or section 16131(i) of title 10, as the case may be, had the individual not made the election described in paragraph (1), multiplied by
(B) the lesser of—
(i) 1.0; or
(ii) the number of course hours borne by the individual in pursuit of the program of education involved divided by the minimum number of course hours required for full-time pursuit of the program of education, rounded to the nearest multiple of 10.
(3) Frequency of payment.—
Payment of the amounts payable under paragraph (1) during pursuit of a program of education shall be made on a monthly basis.
(d) Funding.—
Payments for increased educational assistance under this section shall be made from the Department of Defense Education Benefits Fund under section 2006 of title 10 or from appropriations available to the Department of Homeland Security for that purpose, as applicable.
(e) Regulations.—
The Secretaries concerned shall administer this section in accordance with such regulations as the Secretary of Defense shall prescribe.
(Added Pub. L. 110–252, title V, § 5003(a)(1), June 30, 2008, 122 Stat. 2367; amended Pub. L. 111–275, title X, § 1001(g)(4), (5), Oct. 13, 2010, 124 Stat. 2896; Pub. L. 111–377, title I, § 109(a)–(b)(1), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 4119, 4120; Pub. L. 115–48, title I, § 105(c)(3), Aug. 16, 2017, 131 Stat. 976.)
heading: Amendment of Subsections (a)(1) and (b)(1)
text: Pub. L. 115–48, title I, § 105(c)(3), (d), Aug. 16, 2017, 131 Stat. 976, 977, provided that, effective Aug. 1, 2020, subsections (a)(1) and (b)(1) of this section are amended by striking “paragraphs (2) through (7)” and inserting “paragraphs (2) through (6)”. See 2017 Amendment note below.
heading: References in Text
text: Section 5003(c)(1)(A) of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, referred to in subsec. (c)(1), is section 5003(c)(1)(A) of Pub. L. 110–252, which is set out as a note under section 3301 of this title.
heading: Amendments
text: 2017—Subsecs. (a)(1), (b)(1). Pub. L. 115–48 substituted “paragraphs (2) through (6)” for “paragraphs (2) through (7)”.
2011—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 111–377, § 109(a)(2), added subsec. (c). Former subsec. (c) redesignated (e).
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 111–377, § 109(b)(1), added subsec. (d).
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 111–377, § 109(a)(1), redesignated subsec. (c) as (e).
2010—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 111–275, § 1001(g)(4), substituted “supplemental” for “supplement”.
Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 111–275, § 1001(g)(5), substituted “educational assistance payable under section 3022” for “educational payable under section 3022”.
heading: Effective Date of 2017 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 115–48 effective Aug. 1, 2020, see section 105(d) of Pub. L. 115–48, set out as a note under section 3311 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 2011 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 111–377 effective Aug. 1, 2011, see section 109(c) of Pub. L. 111–377, set out as a note under section 2006 of Title 10, Armed Forces.