Title 38Veterans' BenefitsRelease 119-73

§3471 Applications; approval

Title 38 › Part PART III— - READJUSTMENT AND RELATED BENEFITS › Chapter CHAPTER 34— - VETERANS’ EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - ENROLLMENT › § 3471

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

If an eligible veteran, or someone on active duty who has talked with their service education officer, wants to start an education program under these laws, they must apply to the Secretary in the form and with the information the Secretary requires. The Secretary will approve the application unless one of four things is true: the person is not eligible for the benefit; the chosen school or training does not meet the law’s requirements (this chapter or chapter 36); attending would violate those laws; or the person is already qualified for the program’s goal because of prior education or training. Simply owning or running a business does not count as already being qualified for entrepreneurship courses. The Secretary must notify the applicant whether the application is approved or denied.

Full Legal Text

Title 38, §3471

Veterans' Benefits — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Any eligible veteran, or any person on active duty (after consultation with the appropriate service education officer), who desires to initiate a program of education under this chapter shall submit an application to the Secretary which shall be in such form, and contain such information, as the Secretary shall prescribe. The Secretary shall approve such application unless the Secretary finds that (1) such veteran or person is not eligible for or entitled to the educational assistance for which application is made, (2) the veteran’s or person’s selected educational institution or training establishment fails to meet any requirement of this chapter or chapter 36 of this title, (3) the veteran’s or person’s enrollment in, or pursuit of, the program of education selected would violate any provision of this chapter or chapter 36 of this title, or (4) the veteran or person is already qualified, by reason of previous education or training, for the educational, professional, or vocational objective for which the program of education is offered. The Secretary shall not treat a person as already qualified for the objective of a program of education offered by a qualified provider of entrepreneurship courses solely because such person is the owner or operator of a business. The Secretary shall notify the veteran or person of the approval or disapproval of the veteran’s or person’s application.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those comprising this section were contained in Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1177, which was classified to section 1621 of this title, prior to repeal by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 89–358.

Amendments

2003—Pub. L. 108–183 inserted before last sentence “The Secretary shall not treat a person as already qualified for the objective of a program of education offered by a qualified provider of entrepreneurship courses solely because such person is the owner or operator of a business.” 1991—Pub. L. 102–83 renumbered section 1671 of this title as this section. 1989—Pub. L. 101–237 substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” wherever appearing. 1980—Pub. L. 96–466, among other changes, substituted reference to the veteran’s or person’s selected educational institution or training establishment failing to meet any requirement of this chapter or chapter 36 of this title for reference to the veteran’s or person’s program of education failing to meet any of the requirements of this chapter, inserted provision for disapproval of an application upon a finding that the veteran’s or person’s enrollment in, or pursuit of, the program of education selected would violate this chapter or chapter 36 of this title, and substituted reference to the veteran or person being already qualified, by reason of previous education or training, for the educational, professional, or vocational objective for which the program of education is offered for reference simply to the veteran or person being already qualified. 1976—Pub. L. 94–502 substituted “unless the Administrator finds” for “unless he finds”, “the veteran or person” for “he”, and “the veteran’s or person’s” for “his” in two places. 1972—Pub. L. 92–540 inserted provision authorizing any person on active duty, after consultation with the appropriate service education officer, to submit an application to the Administrator.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2003 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 108–183 applicable to courses approved by State approving agencies after Dec. 16, 2003, see section 305(f) of Pub. L. 108–183, set out as a note under section 3452 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1980 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 96–466 effective Oct. 1, 1980, except as otherwise specifically provided, see section 802(c) of Pub. L. 96–466, set out as a note under section 3452 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1976 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 94–502 effective Oct. 15, 1976, see section 703(b) of Pub. L. 94–502, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 3693 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

38 U.S.C. § 3471

Title 38Veterans' Benefits

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73