Veterans Education: Approval of Correspondence Programs or Courses

This document amends the VA-administered educational assistance and educational benefits regulations concerning approval of programs of education pursued exclusively by correspondence and the correspondence portion of correspondence-residence courses for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) training. A number of changes are made to conform to statutory changes. The regulations are also amended to require that the educational institution offering a correspondence program or course certify to the State approving agency (SAA) that at least 50 percent of those pursuing the program or course require six months or more to complete it based on the six-month period immediately preceding the educational institution's application for approval. The certification is to enable the SAA to determine whether the program or course meets the statutory requirement that at least 50 percent of those pursuing the program or course require six months or more to complete it. The regulations are also amended to expressly provide that the SAA may periodically review the program or course approvals already granted and that this determination would be based on the records of the school for a two-year period reasonably related to the date on which such review is conducted. These periods are appropriate to determine compliance with the statutory requirements. Further, due to the deletion of the statutory basis for its adoption, the requirement that the program or course must require not less than six hours preparation per week over any 26-week period is deleted, and related requirements for SAAs are changed. In addition, this document clarifies that the provisions concerning enrollments in the program or course apply not only to eligible veterans, spouses, and surviving spouses, but also to reservists. Other changes are made for purposes of clarity.