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38 USC § 3533 - Special assistance for the educationally disadvantaged

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t38/s3533"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "38 USC § 3533 - Special assistance for the educationally disadvantaged"
title_number: 38
title_name: "VETERANS’ BENEFITS"
section_number: "3533"
section_name: "Special assistance for the educationally disadvantaged"
chapter_number: 35
chapter_name: "SURVIVORS’ AND DEPENDENTS’ EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE"
subchapter_number: "IV"
subchapter_name: "PAYMENTS TO ELIGIBLE PERSONS"
part_number: "III"
part_name: "READJUSTMENT AND RELATED BENEFITS"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 92–540, title III, § 313, Oct. 24, 1972, 86 Stat. 1084, § 1733; amended Pub. L. 94–502, title III, § 310(17), (18), Oct. 15, 1976, 90 Stat. 2392; Pub. L. 98–223, title II, § 203(b), Mar. 2, 1984, 98 Stat. 41; Pub. L. 100–689, title I, § 106(c), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4167; Pub. L. 101–237, title IV, § 403(a)(8), Dec. 18, 1989, 103 Stat. 2079; Pub. L. 102–16, § 10(a)(6), Mar. 22, 1991, 105 Stat. 56; renumbered § 3533 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), (c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406.)"
---

# § 3533. Special assistance for the educationally disadvantaged

**(a)**

**(1)** Any eligible person shall be entitled to the assistance provided an eligible veteran under section 3491(a) (if pursued in a State) of this title and be paid an educational assistance allowance therefor in the manner prescribed by section 3491(b) of this title, except that the corresponding rate provisions of this chapter shall apply, as determined by the Secretary, to such pursuit by an eligible person.

**(2)** Educational assistance under this chapter for the first five months of full-time pursuit of a program (or the equivalent thereof in part-time educational assistance) consisting of such course or courses shall be provided without charge to entitlement.

**(b)** Any eligible person shall, without charge to any entitlement such person may have under section 3511 of this title, be entitled to the benefits provided an eligible veteran under section 3492 of this title.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 92–540, title III, § 313, Oct. 24, 1972, 86 Stat. 1084, § 1733; amended Pub. L. 94–502, title III, § 310(17), (18), Oct. 15, 1976, 90 Stat. 2392; Pub. L. 98–223, title II, § 203(b), Mar. 2, 1984, 98 Stat. 41; Pub. L. 100–689, title I, § 106(c), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4167; Pub. L. 101–237, title IV, § 403(a)(8), Dec. 18, 1989, 103 Stat. 2079; Pub. L. 102–16, § 10(a)(6), Mar. 22, 1991, 105 Stat. 56; renumbered § 3533 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), (c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1991—, renumbered  as this section.

Subsec. (a)(1). , substituted “3491(a)” for “1691(a)” and “3491(b)” for “1691(b)”.

substituted “Secretary” for “Secretary of Veterans Affairs”.

Subsec. (b). , substituted “3511” for “1711” and “3492” for “1692”.

1989—Subsec. (a)(1).  substituted “assistance provided an eligible veteran under section 1691(a) (if pursued in a State) of this title and be paid an educational assistance allowance therefor in the manner prescribed by , except that the corresponding rate provisions of this chapter shall apply, as determined by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to such pursuit by an eligible person.” for “benefits provided an eligible veteran (with no dependents) under section 1691 (if pursued in a State) of this title.”

1988—Subsec. (a).  amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “Any eligible spouse or surviving spouse shall, without charge to any entitlement such spouse may have under , be entitled to the benefits provided an eligible veteran (with no dependents) under section 1691 (if pursued in a State) of this title.”

1984—Subsec. (a).  inserted “(with no dependents)” after “an eligible veteran” and struck out “and be paid an educational assistance allowance under the provisions of ”.

1976—Subsec. (a). , substituted “spouse or surviving spouse” for “wife or widow” and “such spouse” for “she”.

Subsec. (b). , substituted “such person” for “he”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1989 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date of 1976 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as an Effective Date note under .

### Termination of Eligibility Period

Termination of eligibility period for a wife or widow, or an eligible person eight years from , see , set out as a note under .