# § 3531. Educational assistance allowance
**(a)** The Secretary shall, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 36 of this title, pay to the parent or guardian of each eligible person who is pursuing a program of education under this chapter, and who applies therefor on behalf of such eligible person, an educational assistance allowance to meet, in part, the expenses of the eligible person’s subsistence, tuition, fees, supplies, books, equipment, and other educational costs.
**(b)** The educational assistance allowance of an eligible person pursuing a program of education at an educational institution shall be paid as provided in chapter 36 of this title.
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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1197, § 1731; Pub. L. 89–358, § 4(*l*), Mar. 3, 1966, 80 Stat. 24; Pub. L. 92–540, title III, § 312, Oct. 24, 1972, 86 Stat. 1083; Pub. L. 94–502, title III, §§ 309(c), 310(16), Oct. 15, 1976, 90 Stat. 2391, 2392; Pub. L. 96–466, title III, § 329, Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2197; Pub. L. 101–237, title IV, § 423(b)(1)(A), Dec. 18, 1989, 103 Stat. 2092; renumbered § 3531, Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406.)
## Editorial Notes
### Amendments
1991— renumbered as this section.
1989—Subsec. (a). substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator”.
1980—Subsec. (b). substituted provisions that the educational assistance allowance of an eligible person pursuing a program of education at an educational institution be paid as provided in chapter 36 of this title for provisions that no educational assistance allowance be paid on behalf of an eligible person enrolled in a course in an educational institution which does not lead to a standard college degree for any period until the Administrator received from the eligible person a certification as to the person’s actual attendance during such period and from the educational institution a certification, or an endorsement on the eligible person’s certificate, that the person was enrolled in and pursuing a course of education during such period.
1976—Subsec. (a). , substituted “chapter 36” for “section 1780”.
Subsec. (b). , substituted “the person’s” for “his” and “the person” for “he”.
1972—Subsec. (a). , inserted provision requiring the Administrator to pay in accordance with the provisions of .
Subsec. (b). , (3), redesignated subsec. (d) as (b). Former subsec. (b), which provided for the payment of the educational assistance allowance, pursuant to , to the eligible person only for a period of his enrollment as approved by the Administrator subject to certain limitations, was struck out.
Subsec. (c). , struck out subsec. (c) which authorized the Administrator, pursuant to regulations, to determine enrollment in, pursuit of, and attendance at, any program of education or course by an eligible person.
Subsec. (d). , redesignated subsec. (d) as (b).
Subsec. (e). , struck out subsec. (e) which related to the prompt payment by the Administrator of the allowance to the eligible person.
1966—Subsec. (c). added subsec. (c) and struck out former subsec. (c) which conditioned payment of allowance to eligible person taking college degree course on receipt from such person of certification of enrollment and pursuit of such course and from educational institution certification or indorsement on student’s certification of enrollment and pursuit of such course, prescribed such conditions for eligible person taking a course not leading to college degree as are now incorporated in subsec. (d) of this section, and required payments to be made within twenty days after receipt of requisite certifications, now incorporated in subsec. (e) of this section.
Subsec. (d). redesignated provisions of former subsec. (c)(1)(B), (2) as subsec. (d).
Subsec. (e). added subsec. (e). Concluding sentence of former subsec. (c), struck out by , provided for payment of such allowances within twenty days after receipt by the Administrator of requisite certifications.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date of 1980 Amendment
Amendment by effective , except as otherwise specifically provided, see , set out as a note under .
### Effective Date of 1976 Amendment
Amendment by effective , see , set out as an Effective Date note under .