38 U.S.C. § 3680A (VETERANS’ BENEFITS)
§ 3680A. Disapproval of enrollment in certain courses
(a) The Secretary shall not approve the enrollment of an eligible veteran in any of the following:
(1) Any bartending course or personality development course.
(2) Any sales or sales management course which does not provide specialized training within a specific vocational field.
(3) Any type of course which the Secretary finds to be avocational or recreational in character (or the advertising for which the Secretary finds contains significant avocational or recreational themes) unless the veteran submits justification showing that the course will be of bona fide use in the pursuit of the veteran’s present or contemplated business or occupation.
(4) Any independent study program except an independent study program (including such a program taken over open circuit television) that—
(A) is accredited by an accrediting agency or association recognized by the Secretary of Education under subpart 2 of part H of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1099b);
(B) leads to—
(i) a standard college degree;
(ii) a certificate that reflects educational attainment offered by an institution of higher learning; or
(iii) a certificate that reflects completion of a course of study offered by—
(I) an area career and technical education school (as defined in subparagraphs (C) and (D) of section 3(3) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302(3))) that provides education at the postsecondary level; or
(II) a postsecondary vocational institution (as defined in section 102(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c))) that provides education at the postsecondary level; and
(C) in the case of a program described in subparagraph (B)(iii)—
(i) provides training aligned with the requirements of employers in the State or local area where the program is located, which may include in-demand industry sectors or occupations; and
(ii) provides a student, upon completion of the program, with a recognized postsecondary credential that is recognized by employers in the relevant industry, which may include a credential recognized by industry or sector partnerships in the State or local area where the industry is located; and
(iii) meets such content and instructional standards as may be required to comply with the criteria under section 3676(c)(14) and (15) of this title.
(b) Except to the extent otherwise specifically provided in this title or chapter 106 of title 10, the Secretary shall not approve the enrollment of an eligible veteran in any course of flight training other than one given by an educational institution of higher learning for credit toward a standard college degree the eligible veteran is seeking.
(c) The Secretary shall not approve the enrollment of an eligible veteran in any course to be pursued by radio.
(d)
(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Secretary shall not approve the enrollment of any eligible veteran, not already enrolled, in any course for any period during which the Secretary finds that more than 85 percent of the students enrolled in the course are having all or part of their tuition, fees, or other charges paid to or for them by the educational institution or by the Department of Veterans Affairs under this title or under chapter 106 of title 10. The Secretary may waive the requirements of this subsection, in whole or in part, if the Secretary determines, pursuant to regulations which the Secretary shall prescribe, it to be in the interest of the eligible veteran and the Federal Government. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any course offered by an educational institution if the total number of veterans and persons receiving assistance under this chapter or chapter 30, 31, 32, or 35 of this title or under chapter 106 of title 10 who are enrolled in such institution equals 35 percent or less, or such other percent as the Secretary prescribes in regulations, of the total student enrollment at such institution (computed separately for the main campus and any branch or extension of such institution), except that the Secretary may apply the provisions of this subsection with respect to any course in which the Secretary has reason to believe that the enrollment of such veterans and persons may be in excess of 85 percent of the total student enrollment in such course.
(2) Paragraph (1) of this subsection does not apply with respect to the enrollment of a veteran—
(A) in a course offered pursuant to section 3019, 3034(a)(3), 3234, or 3241(a)(2) of this title;
(B) in a farm cooperative training course; or
(C) in a course described in subsection (g).
(e) The Secretary may not approve the enrollment of an eligible veteran in a course not leading to a standard college degree offered by a proprietary profit or proprietary nonprofit educational institution if—
(1) the educational institution has been operating for less than two years;
(2) the course is offered at a branch of the educational institution and the branch has been operating for less than two years; or
(3) following either a change in ownership or a complete move outside its original general locality, the educational institution does not retain substantially the same faculty, student body, and courses as before the change in ownership or the move outside the general locality (as determined in accordance with regulations the Secretary shall prescribe) unless the educational institution following such change or move has been in operation for at least two years.
(f) The Secretary may not approve the enrollment of an eligible veteran in a course as a part of a program of education offered by an educational institution if the course is provided under contract by another educational institution or entity and—
(1) the Secretary would be barred under subsection (e) from approving the enrollment of an eligible veteran in the course of the educational institution or entity providing the course under contract; or
(2) the educational institution or entity providing the course under contract has not obtained approval for the course under this chapter.
(g) Notwithstanding subsections (e) and (f)(1), the Secretary may approve the enrollment of an eligible veteran in a course approved under this chapter if the course is offered by an educational institution under contract with the Department of Defense or the Department of Homeland Security and is given on or immediately adjacent to a military base, Coast Guard station, National Guard facility, or facility of the Selected Reserve.
(h) In this section, the terms “State or local area”, “recognized postsecondary credential”, “industry or sector partnership”, and “in-demand industry sector or occupation” have the meaning given such terms in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
(Added Pub. L. 102–568, title III, § 313(a)(2), Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4331; amended Pub. L. 104–275, title I, §§ 103(a)(2), (b), 104(c), Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3326, 3327; Pub. L. 105–114, title IV, § 401(d), (e), Nov. 21, 1997, 111 Stat. 2293; Pub. L. 105–368, title X, § 1005(b)(9), Nov. 11, 1998, 112 Stat. 3365; Pub. L. 107–103, title I, § 111(a), Dec. 27, 2001, 115 Stat. 986; Pub. L. 107–296, title XVII, § 1704(d), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2315; Pub. L. 115–48, title III, § 302, Aug. 16, 2017, 131 Stat. 990.)
heading: References in Text
text: The Higher Education Act of 1965, referred to in subsec. (a)(4)(A), is Pub. L. 89–329, Nov. 8, 1965, 79 Stat. 1219. Subpart 2 of part H of title IV of the Act is classified generally to subpart 2 (§ 1099b) of part H of subchapter IV of chapter 28 of Title 20, Education. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1 of Pub. L. 89–329, set out as a Short Title note under section 1001 of Title 20 and Tables.
heading: Amendments
text: 2017—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–48, § 302(1)(A), substituted “in any of the following:” for “in—” in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (a)(1), (2). Pub. L. 115–48, § 302(1)(B), (C), substituted “Any” for “any” and substituted period for semicolon at end.
Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 115–48, § 302(1)(D), substituted “Any” for “any” and substituted period at end for “; or”.
Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 115–48, § 302(1)(E), added par. (4) and struck out former par. (4), which read as follows: “any independent study program except an accredited independent study program (including open circuit television) leading (A) to a standard college degree, or (B) to a certificate that reflects educational attainment offered by an institution of higher learning.”
Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 115–48, § 302(2), added subsec. (h).
2002—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 107–296 substituted “of Homeland Security” for “of Transportation”.
2001—Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 107–103 inserted “(A)” after “leading” and “, or (B) to a certificate that reflects educational attainment offered by an institution of higher learning” before period at end.
1998—Subsec. (d)(2)(C). Pub. L. 105–368 struck out “section” before “subsection (g)”.
1997—Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 105–114, § 401(d), inserted “(including open circuit television)” before “leading to a standard”.
Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 105–114, § 401(e), substituted “subsections (e) and (f)(1)” for “subsections (e) and (f)”.
1996—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–275, § 104(c), substituted “radio.” for “radio or by open circuit television, except that the Secretary may approve the enrollment of an eligible veteran in a course, to be pursued in residence, leading to a standard college degree which includes, as an integral part thereof, subjects offered through open circuit television.”
Subsec. (d)(2)(C). Pub. L. 104–275, § 103(a)(2), substituted “subsection (g)” for “3689(b)(6) of this title”.
Subsecs. (e) to (g). Pub. L. 104–275, § 103(b), added subsecs. (e) to (g).
heading: Effective Date of 2002 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 107–296 effective on the date of transfer of the Coast Guard to the Department of Homeland Security, see section 1704(g) of Pub. L. 107–296, set out as a note under section 101 of Title 10, Armed Forces.
heading: Effective Date of 2001 Amendment
text: Pub. L. 107–103, title I, § 111(b), Dec. 27, 2001, 115 Stat. 987, provided that: “The amendments made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply to enrollments in independent study courses beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 27, 2001].”
heading: Savings Provision
text: Section not applicable to any person receiving educational assistance for pursuit of an independent study program in which the person was enrolled on Oct. 29, 1992, for as long as such person is continuously thereafter so enrolled and meets requirements of eligibility for such assistance, see section 313(b) of Pub. L. 102–568, set out as a note under section 16136 of Title 10, Armed Forces.
heading: Transfer of Functions
text: For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.