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Education and Training

Supported and Non-Supported Students

The 85/15 rule prohibits paying Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits to students enrolling in a program when more than 85 percent of the students enrolled in that program are having any portion of their tuition, fees, or other charges paid for them by the Educational and Training Institution (ETI) or VA.

If the ratio of supported students to non-supported students exceeds 85 percent, only students maintaining continuous enrollment may receive benefits for that program.

Supported Students

The student must be counted as supported for the purposes of the 85/15 rule when:

  • The student receives any amount of VA Education benefits under Title 38 or Title 10; OR
  • The student is granted any waiver or forgiveness of tuition, fees, or other charges, where the institutional policy for determining the recipient of such aid is not equal with respect to Veterans and nonveterans alike (i.e., restricted aid), excluding graduate students; OR
  • The student receives an institutionally funded loan, scholarship or grant, where the institutional policy for determining the recipient of such aid is not equal with respect to Veterans and nonveterans alike (i.e., restricted aid), excluding graduate students; OR
  • The student has not paid the full amount of tuition, fees, and other mandatory charges to the ETI prior to the reporting date.*

Students receiving Veteran Readiness and Employment (chapter 31), or Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (chapter 35) benefits must be counted when calculating 85/15 rule compliance, but they can continue to be certified and enrolled when the ETI is found to be in violation of the 85/15 rule.

*The reporting date is either within 30 days of the beginning of the term (if the ETI is term-based) or within 30 days of the end of the quarter (if the ETI is non-term-based). See Reporting Requirements for more information on this topic.

Veteran Employment through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) Pilot Program

The Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) Pilot Program is authorized under Title 38, and students using benefits under the VET TEC Pilot Program are considered supported students for the purpose of 85/15 calculations.

Non-Supported Students

The student may be counted as non-supported for the purposes of the 85/15 rule when:

  • The student is not using GI Bill benefits under Title 10 or Title 38 (chapters 30, 31, 33, 35, 1606, VET-TEC); AND
  • The student is granted any waiver or forgiveness of tuition, fees, or other charges, where the institutional policy for determining the recipient of such aid is equal with respect to Veterans and nonveterans alike, or is a graduate student; AND
  • The student receives an institutionally funded loan, scholarship, or grant, where the institutional policy for determining the recipient of such aid is equal with respect to Veterans and nonveterans alike, or is a graduate student; AND
  • The student is using an institutionally funded payment plan to pay the full amount of tuition, fees, and other mandatory charges when all the following apply:
    • The availability and requirements of the payment plan policy is published both on the ETI’s website and in the ETI’s approved catalog
    • The payment plan is available to any enrolled student interested in participating in such plans
    • The payment plan explicitly requires the student to pay the outstanding balance no later than 180 days from the end of the term, quarter, semester, or enrollment period whichever is later;
    • The payment plan must be paid in full before students can begin training for the next term beginning on or after the expiration of the payment plan; AND
  • There are no outstanding tuition, fees, and other mandatory charges owed to the ETI as of the reporting date (unless the balance is covered by a compliant tuition and fee repayment plan).*

NOTE: If the student is receiving multiple types of aid and any of it is supported, the student must be counted as a supported student.

*The reporting date is either within 30 days of the beginning of the term (if ETI is term-based) or within 30 days of the end of the quarter (if the ETI is non-term-based). See Reporting Requirements for more information on this topic.

Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP)

Because the program is authorized under other than Title 38 or Title 10, VA beneficiaries using the Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP) are counted as non-supported students for 85/15 purposes, unless the student is receiving multiple types of aid and any of it is supported.

85/15 Student Status Checklist

Use the Student Status Checklist to aid in determining if a student is supported or non-supported for 85/15 rule purposes.


Additional 85/15 Webpages
85/15 FAQS Full-Time Equivalency Suspension and Review
Restricted Aid The 85/15 Rule Reporting Requirements
35 Percent Exemption DoD Exemption Education Service Waiver
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