Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-102

§2146 Right of Member Upon Subsequent Reenlistment to Lump-sum Payment in Lieu of Educational Assistance

Title 10 › Subtitle A — General Military Law › PART III — TRAINING AND EDUCATION › CHAPTER 106A — EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR PERSONS ENLISTING FOR ACTIVE DUTY › § 2146

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

A service member who is eligible for education benefits and reenlists at the end of the enlistment that gave them those benefits can choose, when they reenlist, to get a one-time lump-sum payment instead of the education benefits. That choice is final and cannot be changed. The lump sum is 60 percent of the sum of two things: the education rate from section 2143(b) times the number of standard academic years of entitlement, and the full‑time subsistence rate from section 2144 times the number of months of subsistence entitlement.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §2146

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)A member who is entitled to educational assistance under this chapter and who reenlists at the end of the enlistment which established such entitlement may, at the time of such reenlistment, elect to receive a lump-sum payment computed under subsection (b) in lieu of receiving such educational assistance. An election to receive such a lump-sum payment is irrevocable.

(b)The amount of a lump-sum payment under subsection (a) is 60 percent of the sum of—

(1)the product of (A) the rate for educational assistance under section 2143(b) of this title applicable to such member which is in effect at the time of such reenlistment, and (B) the number of standard academic years of entitlement of such member to such assistance; and

(2)the product of (A) the rate for the subsistence allowance authorized under section 2144 of this title for pursuit of a course of instruction on a full-time basis at the time of such reenlistment, and (B) the number of months of entitlement of such member to such allowance.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 2146

Title 10, Armed Forces

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102