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Title 38, Veterans' BenefitsRelease 119-102

§7602 Eligibility

Title 38 › PART V — BOARDS, ADMINISTRATIONS, AND SERVICES › CHAPTER 76 — HEALTH PROFESSIONALS EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM › SUBCHAPTER I — GENERAL › § 7602

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

To take part in the Educational Assistance Program under subchapters II, III, VI, or IX, a person must be accepted or already enrolled at a school in a State that the Secretary finds is accredited. The person must be in an approved course of study that leads to a degree in a field covered by those subchapters. A person cannot apply if they are already required by another federal program to perform service after finishing that same course of education or training.

Full Legal Text

Title 38, §7602

Veterans' Benefits, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)To be eligible to participate in the Educational Assistance Program under subchapter II, III, VI, or IX of this chapter, an individual must be accepted for enrollment or be currently enrolled as a student at a qualifying educational institution in a course of education or training that is approved by the Secretary and that leads toward completion of a degree in a field of education or training for which a scholarship may be awarded under subchapter II of this chapter, for which tuition reimbursement may be provided under subchapter III of this chapter, or for which a scholarship may be awarded under subchapter VI or IX of this chapter, as the case may be.
(2)A qualifying educational institution for purposes of this section is an educational institution that is in a State and that (as determined by the Secretary) is an accredited institution.
(b)An individual is not eligible to apply to participate in the Educational Assistance Program under subchapter II, III, VI, or IX of this chapter if the individual is obligated under any other Federal program to perform service after completion of the course of education or training of such individual referred to in subsection (a) of this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2020—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 116–171, § 502(b)(1)(B)(i), substituted “VI, or IX” for “or VI” and “subchapter VI or IX” for “subchapter VI”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 116–171, § 502(b)(1)(B)(ii), substituted “VI, or IX” for “or VI”. 1998—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 105–368, § 805(2)(A), substituted “subchapter II, III, or VI” for “subchapter I or II”, substituted “, for which” for “or for which”, and inserted before period at end “, or for which a scholarship may be awarded under subchapter VI of this chapter, as the case may be”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–368, § 805(2)(B), substituted “subchapter II, III, or VI” for “subchapter I or II”. 1991—Pub. L. 102–40 renumbered section 4302 of this title as this section. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–83 substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” in pars. (1) and (2). 1990—Subsecs. (a)(1), (b). Pub. L. 101–366 inserted “under subchapter I or II of this chapter” after “Educational Assistance Program”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

38 U.S.C. § 7602

Title 38, Veterans' Benefits

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102