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Title 38, Veterans' BenefitsRelease 119-110

§3316 Supplemental Educational Assistance: Members with Critical Skills or Specialty; Members Serving Additional Service

Title 38 › PART III — READJUSTMENT AND RELATED BENEFITS › CHAPTER 33 — POST–9/11 EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE › SUBCHAPTER II — EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE › § 3316

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

You may get extra monthly education pay if you have a skill or job the Secretary in charge says is hard to fill or hard to keep people in. The extra pay cannot be more than the monthly increase allowed under section 3015(d)(1) at the time the extra is given. The Secretary in charge may also add a monthly supplement for extra service under subchapter III of chapter 30. Who can get that supplement follows the rules in subchapter III, and the supplement amount equals the monthly amount set in section 3022. People who chose to switch benefits under section 5003(c)(1)(A) but already had increased pay under section 3015(d) or section 16131(i) of title 10 will keep that increase when they use these benefits. The monthly rate they get is the rate they would have had under 3015(d) or 16131(i) times the lesser of 1.0 or (their course hours divided by the full‑time course hours), rounded to the nearest multiple of 10. Payments are made monthly and are paid from the Department of Defense Education Benefits Fund under section 2006 of title 10 or from DHS appropriations, as appropriate. The Secretaries must follow DoD regulations the Secretary of Defense sets.

Full Legal Text

Title 38, §3316

Veterans' Benefits, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(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 (6) 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 (6) 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.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in 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.

Amendments

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”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2017 AmendmentAmendment 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.

Effective Date

of 2011 AmendmentAmendment 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.

Effective Date

Section effective Aug. 1, 2009, see section 5003(d) of Pub. L. 110–252, set out as an

Effective Date

of 2008 Amendment note under section 16163 of Title 10, Armed Forces.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

38 U.S.C. § 3316

Title 38, Veterans' Benefits

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110