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38 USC § 3542 - Special training allowance

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t38/s3542"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "38 USC § 3542 - Special training allowance"
title_number: 38
title_name: "VETERANS’ BENEFITS"
section_number: "3542"
section_name: "Special training allowance"
chapter_number: 35
chapter_name: "SURVIVORS’ AND DEPENDENTS’ EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE"
subchapter_number: "V"
subchapter_name: "SPECIAL RESTORATIVE TRAINING"
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: "(Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1200, § 1742; Pub. L. 89–222, § 2, Sept. 30, 1965, 79 Stat. 896; Pub. L. 91–219, title I, § 104(c), Mar. 26, 1970, 84 Stat. 78; Pub. L. 92–540, title I, § 103(4), Oct. 24, 1972, 86 Stat. 1076; Pub. L. 93–508, title I, § 103(4), Dec. 3, 1974, 88 Stat. 1580; Pub. L. 93–602, title II, § 204(b), Jan. 2, 1975, 88 Stat. 1958; Pub. L. 94–502, title III, § 301(2), Oct. 15, 1976, 90 Stat. 2389; Pub. L. 95–202, title I, § 103(2), Nov. 23, 1977, 91 Stat. 1435; Pub. L. 96–466, title II, §§ 202(2), 212(2), Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2188, 2190; Pub. L. 98–543, title II, § 203(2), Oct. 24, 1984, 98 Stat. 2742; Pub. L. 101–237, title IV, §§ 403(a)(10), 423(b)(1)(A), Dec. 18, 1989, 103 Stat. 2080, 2092; renumbered § 3542, Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406; Pub. L. 105–178, title VIII, § 8210(c), as added Pub. L. 105–206, title IX, § 9014(b), July 22, 1998, 112 Stat. 866; Pub. L. 106–419, title I, § 111(c), Nov. 1, 2000, 114 Stat. 1830; Pub. L. 107–103, title I, §§ 102(c), 109(b)(2), Dec. 27, 2001, 115 Stat. 978, 986; Pub. L. 108–183, title III, § 302(c), Dec. 16, 2003, 117 Stat. 2659.)"
---

# § 3542. Special training allowance

**(a)** While the eligible person is enrolled in and pursuing a full-time course of special restorative training, the eligible person shall be entitled to receive a special training allowance computed at the basic rate of $788 per month. If the charges for tuition and fees applicable to any such course are more than $247 per calendar month, the basic monthly allowance may be increased by the amount that such charges exceed $247 a month, upon election by the eligible person to have such person’s period of entitlement reduced by one day for each such increased amount of allowance that is equal to one-thirtieth of the full-time basic monthly rate of special training allowance.

**(b)** No payments of a special training allowance shall be made for the same period for which the payment of an educational assistance allowance is made or for any period during which the training is pursued on less than a full-time basis.

**(c)** Full-time training for the purpose of this section shall be determined by the Secretary with respect to the capacities of the individual trainee.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1200, § 1742; Pub. L. 89–222, § 2, Sept. 30, 1965, 79 Stat. 896; Pub. L. 91–219, title I, § 104(c), Mar. 26, 1970, 84 Stat. 78; Pub. L. 92–540, title I, § 103(4), Oct. 24, 1972, 86 Stat. 1076; Pub. L. 93–508, title I, § 103(4), Dec. 3, 1974, 88 Stat. 1580; Pub. L. 93–602, title II, § 204(b), Jan. 2, 1975, 88 Stat. 1958; Pub. L. 94–502, title III, § 301(2), Oct. 15, 1976, 90 Stat. 2389; Pub. L. 95–202, title I, § 103(2), Nov. 23, 1977, 91 Stat. 1435; Pub. L. 96–466, title II, §§ 202(2), 212(2), Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2188, 2190; Pub. L. 98–543, title II, § 203(2), Oct. 24, 1984, 98 Stat. 2742; Pub. L. 101–237, title IV, §§ 403(a)(10), 423(b)(1)(A), Dec. 18, 1989, 103 Stat. 2080, 2092; renumbered § 3542, Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406; Pub. L. 105–178, title VIII, § 8210(c), as added Pub. L. 105–206, title IX, § 9014(b), July 22, 1998, 112 Stat. 866; Pub. L. 106–419, title I, § 111(c), Nov. 1, 2000, 114 Stat. 1830; Pub. L. 107–103, title I, §§ 102(c), 109(b)(2), Dec. 27, 2001, 115 Stat. 978, 986; Pub. L. 108–183, title III, § 302(c), Dec. 16, 2003, 117 Stat. 2659.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2003—Subsec. (a).  substituted “$788” for “$670” and substituted “$247” for “$210” in two places.

2001—Subsec. (a). , substituted “the eligible person shall be entitled to receive” for “the parent or guardian shall be entitled to receive on behalf of such person” and “upon election by the eligible person” for “upon election by the parent or guardian of the eligible person”.

, substituted “$670” for “$588” and substituted “$210” for “$184” in two places.

2000—Subsec. (a).  substituted “$588” for “$485”, “$184” for “$152” in two places, and “such increased amount of allowance that is equal to one-thirtieth of the full-time basic monthly rate of special training allowance” for “$16.16 that the special training allowance paid exceeds the basic monthly allowance”.

1998—Subsec. (a). , as added by , substituted “$485” for “$404” and “$16.16” for “$13.46” and substituted “$152” for “$127” in two places.

1991— renumbered  as this section.

1989—Subsec. (a). , substituted “$404” for “$376”, “$127” for “$119” in two places, and “$13.46” for “$12.58”.

Subsec. (c). , substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator”.

1984—Subsec. (a).  substituted “$376” for “$342”, “$119” for “$108” in two places, and “$12.58” for “$11.44”.

1980—Subsec. (a). , substituted “$342” for “$327”, “$108” for “$103” in two places, and “$11.44” for “$10.92”.

, substituted “$327” for “$311”, “$103” for “$98” in two places, and “$10.92” for “$10.40”.

1977—Subsec. (a).  substituted “$311” for “$292”, “$98” for “$92” in two places, and “$10.40” for “$9.76”.

1976—Subsec. (a).  substituted “$292” for “$270”, “$92” for “$85” in two places, and “$9.76” for “$9.02”.

1975—Subsec. (a).  substituted “$270”, “$85”, “$85”, and “$9.02” for “$260”, “$82”, “$82”, and “$8.69”, respectively.

1974—Subsec. (a).  substituted “behalf of such person”, “$260”, “$82”, “$82”, and “$8.69” for “his behalf a”, “$220”, “$69”, “$69”, and “$7.35”, respectively.

1972—Subsec. (a).  substituted “$220” for “$175”, “$69” for “$55”, and “$7.35” for “$6.80”, respectively.

1970—Subsec. (a).  substituted “$175” for “$130”, “$55” for “$41”, and “$6.80” for “$4.25”, respectively.

1965—Subsec. (a).  substituted “$130”, “$41”, “$41” and “$4.25” for “$110”, “$35”, “$35” and “$3.60”, respectively.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2003 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , and applicable with respect to educational assistance allowances payable under this chapter and  for months beginning on or after that date, see , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date of 2001 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , and applicable with respect to educational assistance allowances payable under this chapter and  for months beginning on or after that date, see , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date of 2000 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , and applicable with respect to educational assistance allowances paid under this chapter for months after October 2000, see , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date of 1998 Amendments

Title IX of  effective simultaneously with enactment of  and to be treated as included in  at time of enactment, see , set out as a note under , Highways.

Amendment by  effective , and applicable with respect to educational assistance allowances paid for months after September 1998, see , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date of 1989 Amendment

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

### Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

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

### Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

Amendment by sections 202(2) and 212(c) of  effective , and , respectively, see , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date of 1977 Amendment

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

### Effective Date of 1976 Amendment

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

### Effective Date of 1975 Amendment

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

### Effective Date of 1974 Amendment

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

### Effective Date of 1972 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , except for those veterans and eligible persons in training on , see , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date of 1970 Amendment

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

### Effective Date of 1965 Amendment

Amendment by  effective first day of second calendar month following , see , set out as a note under .