Bar to Approval

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its regulations that govern VA's administration of educational assistance programs to implement a provision of the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, which requires a State Approving Agency (SAA), or the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (when acting as the SAA), to disapprove programs of education provided by educational institutions that do not permit individuals using benefits under certain VA educational assistance programs to attend or participate in courses while awaiting payment from VA or that impose a penalty on an individual for failure to meet financial obligations due to a delayed VA payment. VA is also implementing a provision that allows educational institutions to require a claimant using educational benefits to submit certain documents and to pay certain fees or charges if VA delays payment and ultimately pays less than what an educational institution anticipated receiving.