§ 831.7001-3 - Books, supplies, and equipment required to be personally owned.

831.7001-3 Books, supplies, and equipment required to be personally owned.

(a) Reimbursement for supplies (including books, equipment, or other supplies) will be made as provided in this section.

(b)

supplies, and equipment. VA will provide reimbursement for

those supplies

books, equipment, or other supplies of the same variety, quality, or amount that all students taking the same course or courses are customarily required to own personally.

In addition,

VA

may

will provide reimbursement for items that the

school

institution does not specifically require for pursuit of the course

, but that

if VA determines that such items are needed because of the demands of the course, general possession by other students, and the disadvantage imposed on a

veteran

Veteran student by not having the item.

In no instance will VA provide reimbursement for supplies in a greater variety, quality, or amount than required of nonveteran students. In this instance, an item is not considered to be required if it is “requested” or “desirable to have” or “necessary for a future profession or job but not required by the institution of all students in the course”.

(c) When supplies are available in several prices, grades, or qualities, VA will provide reimbursement only for that quality or grade that will meet the requirements.

(d) Partial payment agreements, in which VA shares payment with the veterans, are not allowed.

(e)

(b) Partial payment agreements. Agreements in which VA would pay the institution a partial payment with the remainder to be paid by the Veteran student are not authorized.

(c) Thesis expenses. The institution's costs in connection with a

veteran

Veteran student's thesis are considered supplies and are therefore authorized for reimbursement if the

veteran

Veteran student's committee chairman, major professor, department head, or appropriate dean certifies that the thesis is a course requirement and the expenses are required to complete the thesis. These expenses may include research expenses, typing, printing, microfilming, or otherwise reproducing the required number of copies.

(

f) When the institution operates a bookstore or supply store for all students, reimbursement to the bookstore or supply store for supplies issued to trainees will be no greater than charges made to nonveteran students.

(g) When the institution, training establishment, or employer arranges for stores or other non-institutionally owned establishments to issue supplies to all students and a veteran is to pay the store or establishment for supplies issued to trainees, VA will provide reimbursement for those charges if they are no greater than those nonveterans pay or paid to the institutions, whichever is the lesser.

(h) Supplies

d) Reimbursement for books, supplies, and equipment. Books, supplies, and equipment that the institution purchases specifically for trainees will be reimbursed at the net cost to the institution.

(i) When

The VA shall reimburse the institution

does not provide or arrange

for

issuance of generally required

books,

tools and supplies for students attending the facility, the institution, in cooperation with VA, may designate certain stores and establishments to provide generally required books, tools and supplies for veterans pursuing a vocational rehabilitation program. The vendor will be reimbursed in the same manner as for supplies provided or arranged for by the institutions.

(j) When it is customary in a survey class to permit each student to rent books for the subject (commonly referred to as a rental set), and the student is not required to own the books/materials, reimbursement is authorized for the rental charge as long as it does not exceed the charge made to nonveteran students.

(k) Educational and training institutions that furnish supplies to trainees that all students pursuing the same or similar course are required to own personally or obtain may be compensated for furnishing the supplies in an amount not exceeding

supplies, and equipment when these items are -

(1) Issued to students from its own bookstore or supply store;

(2) Issued to students from retail stores or other non-institutionally owned establishments not owned by the contractor/institution but arranged or designated by them in cooperation with VA; or

(3) Rented or leased books, supplies and equipment and are issued to students for survey classes when it is customary that students are not required to own the books.

(e) Handling charges. VA shall reimburse the institution for any handling charges not to exceed more than 10 percent of the allowable charge for the

supplies furnished or rented subject to the following conditions:

books, equipment or other supplies unless -

(1)

When the

The tuition covers the charges for supplies or rentals or a stipulated fee is assessed to all students

, handling charges are not allowable.

; or

(2) The handling charge is

not allowable

for Government-owned books that the

institution

contractor procures from the Library of Congress.