§ 21.4210 - Suspension and discontinuance of educational assistance payments, and of enrollments or reenrollments for pursuit of approved courses.

§ 21.4210 Suspension and discontinuance of educational assistance payments, and of enrollments or reenrollments for pursuit of approved courses.

(a) Overview; explanation of terms used in §§ 21.4210 through 21.4216.

(1) VA may pay educational assistance to a reservist under 10 U.S.C. chapter 1606 for the reservist's pursuit of a course approved in accordance with the provisions of 38 U.S.C. chapter 36. VA may pay educational assistance under 38 U.S.C. chapter 32 or 35 to a veteran or eligible person for the individual's pursuit of a course approved in accordance with the provisions of 38 U.S.C. chapter 36; or if the individual has taken a licensing or certification test approved in accordance with the provisions of 38 U.S.C. chapter 36. VA may pay educational assistance under 38 U.S.C. chapter 30 to a veteran or servicemember for the individual's pursuit of a course approved in accordance with the provisions of 38 U.S.C. chapter 36; if the individual has taken a licensing or certification test approved in accordance with the provisions of 38 U.S.C. chapter 36 or if the individual is entitled to be paid benefits (tuition assistance top-up) to meet all or a portion of an educational institution's charges for education or training that the military department concerned has not covered under tuition assistance. VA may pay educational assistance under 38 U.S.C. chapter 33 to an eligible individual or, as appropriate, to the individual's institution of higher learning on his or her behalf, for the individual's pursuit of a course or program of education if the course or program of education is offered by an institution of higher learning and approved under 38 U.S.C. chapter 30 in accordance with the provisions of 38 U.S.C. chapter 36; if the individual has taken a licensing or certification test approved in accordance with the provisions of 38 U.S.C. chapter 36, or if an individual is entitled to be paid educational assistance to meet all or a portion of the institution of higher learning's established charges that the military department concerned has not covered by tuition assistance under 10 U.S.C. 2007(a) or (c). Except for tuition assistance top-up, where courses do not need to be approved, a State approving agency designated by VA, or in some instances VA, approves the course or test for payment purposes. Notwithstanding such approval, VA, as provided in paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) of this section, may suspend, discontinue, or deny payment of benefits to any or all otherwise eligible individuals for pursuit of a course or training approved under 38 U.S.C. chapter 36, and for taking a licensing or certification test approved under 38 U.S.C. chapter 36.

(2) For the purposes of this section and the purposes of §§ 21.4211 through 21.4216, except as otherwise expressly stated to the contrary -

(i) The term “course” includes an apprenticeship or other on-job training program;

(ii) The term “educational institution” includes a training establishment, or organization or entity offering a licensing or certification test; and

(iii) Reference to action suspending, discontinuing, or otherwise denying enrollment or reenrollment means such action with respect to providing educational assistance under the chapters listed in paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(Authority: 10 U.S.C. 16136(b); 38 U.S.C. 3034(a), 3241(a), 3323(a), 3452, 3471, 3690)

(b) Denial of payment in individual cases.

(1) VA may deny payment of educational assistance to a specific individual for pursuit of a course or courses if, following an examination of the individual's case, VA has credible evidence affecting that individual that -

(i) The course fails to meet any of the requirements of 10 U.S.C. chapter 1606, or 38 U.S.C. chapter 30, 32, 33, 35, or 36; or

(ii) The educational institution offering the individual's course has violated any of those requirements of law.

(Authority: 10 U.S.C. 16136(b); 38 U.S.C. 3034(a), 3241(a), 3323(a), 3689, 3690)

(2) VA may deny payment of educational assistance to a specific individual for taking a licensing or certification test if, following an examination of the individual's case, VA has credible evidence affecting that individual that -

(i) The test fails to meet any of the requirements of 38 U.S.C. 3689; or

(ii) The organization or entity offering the individual's test has violated any of the requirements of 38 U.S.C. 3689.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3689)

(c) Notice in individual cases. Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section, when VA denies payment of educational assistance to an individual under paragraph (b) of this section, VA will provide concurrent written notice to the individual. The notice shall state -

(1) The adverse action;

(2) The reasons for the action; and

(3) The individual's right to an opportunity to be heard thereon in accordance with part 19 of this title.

(Authority: 10 U.S.C. 16136(b); 38 U.S.C. 3034(a), 3241(a), 3323(a), 3690)

(d) Actions affecting groups.

(1) The Director of the VA Regional Processing Office of jurisdiction may:

(i) Suspend payments of educational assistance to all veterans, servicemembers, reservists, or eligible persons already enrolled in a course;

(ii) Disapprove all further enrollments or reenrollments of individuals seeking VA educational assistance for pursuit of the course (except for enrollments and reenrollments of servicemembers seeking to be paid benefits (tuition assistance top-up) to meet all or a portion of an educational institution's charges for education or training that the military department concerned has not covered under tuition assistance); and

(iii) Suspend payments of educational assistance to all veterans, servicemembers, or eligible persons who may take a licensing or certification test after a date that the Director may determine.

(2) Except as provided in paragraphs (d)(3) and (i) of this section, the decision to act as described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section must be based on evidence of a substantial pattern of veterans, servicemembers, reservists, or eligible persons enrolled in the course or taking the test receiving educational assistance to which they are not entitled because:

(i) One or more of the course approval requirements of 38 U.S.C. chapter 36 are not met, including the course approval requirements specified in §§ 21.4253, 21.4254, 21.4261, 21.4262, 21.4263, 21.4264, and 21.4268; or

(ii) The educational institution offering the course has violated one or more of the recordkeeping or reporting requirements of 10 U.S.C. chapter 1606, or of 38 U.S.C. chapters 30, 32, 33, 35, and 36. These violations may include, but are not limited to, the following:

(A) Willful and knowing submission of false reports or certifications concerning students or courses of education;

(B) Failure to report to VA a veteran's, servicemember's, reservist's, or eligible person's reduction, discontinuance, or termination of education or training; or

(C) Submission of improper or incorrect reports in such number, manner, or period of time as to indicate negligence on its part, including failure to maintain an adequate reporting or recordkeeping system.

(3) The Director also may make a decision to take the action described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section when the Director has evidence that one or more prohibited assignments of benefits have occurred at an educational institution as a result of that educational institution's policy. This decision may be made regardless of whether there is a substantial pattern of erroneous payments at the educational institution. See § 21.4146.

(4) The Director may disapprove the enrollment of all individuals not already enrolled in an educational institution (which for the purposes of this paragraph does not include a training establishment) when the Director finds that the educational institution:

(i) Has charged or received from veterans, servicemembers, reservists, or eligible persons an amount for tuition and fees in excess of the amount similarly circumstanced nonveterans are required to pay for the same course; or

(ii) Has instituted a policy or practice with respect to the payment of tuition, fees, or other established charges that substantially denies to veterans, servicemembers, reservists, or other eligible persons the benefits of advance payment of educational assistance authorized to such individuals under § 21.4138(a), § 21.7140(a), § 21.7640(d), or § 21.9680; or

(iii) Has used erroneous, deceptive, or misleading practices as set forth in § 21.4252(h).

(Authority: 16136(b); 38 U.S.C. 512(a), 3034(a), 3241(a), 3323(a), 3680A(d), 3684, 3685, 3689, 3690, 3696, 5301)

(e) Actions that must accompany a mass suspension of educational assistance payments or suspension of approval of enrollments and reenrollments in a course or educational institution.

(1) The Director of the VA Regional Processing Office of jurisdiction may suspend payment of educational assistance and may suspend approval of new enrollments and reenrollments as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, only after:

(i) The Director notifies in writing the State approving agency concerned and the educational institution of any failure to meet the approval requirements and any violation of recordkeeping or reporting requirements; and

(ii) The educational institution -

(A) Refuses to take corrective action; or

(B) Does not take corrective action within 60 days (or 90 days if permitted by the Director).

(2) Not less than 30 days before the Director acts to make a mass suspension of payments of educational assistance and/or suspend approval of new enrollments and reenrollments, the Director will, to the maximum extent feasible, provide written notice to each veteran, servicemember, reservist, and eligible person enrolled in the affected courses. The notice will:

(i) State the Director's intent to suspend payments and/or suspend approval of new enrollments and reenrollments unless the educational institution takes corrective action;

(ii) Give the reasons why the Director intends to suspend payments and/or suspend approval of new enrollments and reenrollments; and

(iii) State the date on which the Director intends to suspend payments and/or suspend approval of new enrollments and reenrollments.

(Authority: 10 U.S.C. 16136(b); 38 U.S.C. 3034(a), 3241(a), 3323(a), 3690)

(3) If VA receives a claim for educational assistance for the taking by an individual of a licensing or certification test, and the individual took the licensing or certification test during a period when payment for taking such test was suspended, the Director will inform the individual in writing of the fact of the suspension and the reasons why payments were suspended.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3689, 3690)

(f) Actions in cases indicating submission of false, misleading, or fraudulent claims or statements. The Director of the VA Regional Processing Office of jurisdiction will take the following action, as indicated, that may be in addition to suspending payments or further approval of enrollments or reenrollments in a course or educational institution.

(1) If the Director has evidence indicating that an educational institution has willfully submitted a false or misleading claim, or that a veteran, servicemember, reservist, eligible person, or other person, with the complicity of an educational institution, has submitted such a claim, the Director will make a complete report of the facts of the case to the appropriate State approving agency and to the Office of Inspector General for appropriate action.

(2) If the Director believes that an educational institution has submitted a false, fictitious, or fraudulent claim or written statement within the meaning of the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act (31 U.S.C. 3801-3812) or that a veteran, servicemember, reservist, eligible person, or other person, with the complicity of an educational institution, has submitted such a claim or made such a written statement, the Director will follow the procedures in part 42 of this title.

(Authority: 10 U.S.C. 16136(b); 31 U.S.C. 3801-3812; 38 U.S.C. 3034(a), 3241(a), 3323(a), 3689, 3690)

(g) Referral to the Committee on Educational Allowances. The Director of the VA Regional Processing Office of jurisdiction will refer the following matters to the Committee on Educational Allowances as provided in § 21.4212:

(1) A suspension under paragraph (d) of this section of payments of educational assistance to all veterans, servicemembers, reservists, or eligible persons already enrolled in a course;

(2) A disapproval under paragraph (d) of this section of all further enrollments or reenrollments of individuals seeking VA educational assistance for pursuit of the course (except for enrollments and reenrollments of servicemembers seeking to be paid tuition assistance top-up benefits to meet all or a portion of an educational institution's charges for education or training that the military department concerned has not covered under tuition assistance); and

(3) A suspension under paragraph (d) of this section of payments of educational assistance to all veterans, servicemembers, or eligible persons who may take a licensing or certification test after a date that the Director has determined.

(Authority: 10 U.S.C. 16136(b); 38 U.S.C. 3034(a), 3241(a), 3323(a), 3689, 3690)

(h) Withdrawal of referral to Committee on Educational Allowances.

(1) If, following a suspension of payments and/or of approval of enrollments or reenrollments, the Director of the VA Regional Processing Office of jurisdiction determines that the conditions which justified the suspension have been corrected, and the State approving agency has not withdrawn or suspended approval of the course(s) or test(s), the Director may resume payments to and/or approval of enrollments or reenrollments of the affected veterans, servicemembers, reservists, or eligible persons. If the case has already been referred to the Committee on Educational Allowances under paragraph (g) of this section at the time such action is taken, the Director will advise the Committee that the original referral is withdrawn.

(2) If, following a referral to the Committee on Educational Allowances, the Director finds that the State approving agency will suspend or withdraw approval, the Director may, if otherwise appropriate, advise the Committee that the original referral is withdrawn.

(Authority: 10 U.S.C. 16136(b); 38 U.S.C. 3034(a), 3241(a), 3323(a), 3690)

(i) This section does not apply to disapproval of courses based on conflicts of interests. VA will disapprove courses when required by § 21.4005(d) without applying the provisions of paragraphs (a) through (h) of this section.

(Authority: 10 U.S.C. 16136(b); 38 U.S.C. 3034(a), 3241, 3323(a), 3683(b))

[63 FR 35831, July 1, 1998, as amended at 72 FR 16971, Apr. 5, 2007; 74 FR 14668, Mar. 31, 2009]