VA Tutorial Assistance Program

Tutorial assistance is available to a student receiving benefits under chapter 30, 32, [35, or 106], section 903. The purpose is to help the student pay for any necessary tutoring. The allowance is a supplement to the claimant's monthly educational assistance allowance.

(1) Chapters 30, 32, [106,] and Section 903 . The monthly rate may not exceed the cost of tutoring or $100. The maximum amount payable is $1,200. There is no entitlement charge for the first $600 of assistance. After $600, an entitlement charge is computed by dividing the amount of tutorial assistance over $600 by the full-time rate the student is entitled to for an institutional course. [Public Law 102-568 extended entitlement to tutorial assistance for chapter 106 claimants effective October 29, 1992.]

(2) Chapter 35. The monthly rate may not exceed the cost of tutoring or $100. The maximum amount payable is $1,200. There is no entitlement charge.

(3) The maximum monthly amount of $100 and the maximum total amount of $1,200 were effective November 18, 1988 (Public Law 100-689).

All students must complete the Tutorial Assistance Internal Recommendation Form provided by the VA Coordinator. This form must be signed and dated by the instructor of the course the student requests tutoring for and is submitted to the VA Coordinator, in order to validate the need for tutoring. VA Vocational Rehabilitation (CH 31) students must also notify their VA Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor.

The student must complete VA Form 22-1990t. This is the form on which the student will record the dates tutoring was received and the monetary cost of each tutoring session. This form must be completed and signed by both the student and the tutor and then turned into the VA Coordinator. The student is responsible for ensuriing the tutor is paid the contracted amount for the tutoring services.

Eligibility

1. The claimant must be enrolled in a post secondary program of education on a half-time or more basis.
2. The student must have a deficiency in a unit subject that is part of his or her approved program.
3. A student may not use tutorial assistance to improve a satisfactory grade to raise his or her academic standing. If a passing grade does not establish credit toward the degree, VA may consider it to be a deficiency.
4. Tutoring must occur during the student's enrollment period. This includes weekends and breaks during a term, quarter, or semester. This does not include breaks between terms, quarters, or semesters.
5. The student must be enrolled in the unit course and receive tutoring for the course during the same term.

The maximum individual tutoring service should not exceed the usual charges for tutoring.

Students are responsible for obtaining a tutor who meets the eligibility requirements listed on the Tutorial Assistance Internal Recommendation Form. The VA Coordinator does not supply a list of availalbe tutors.

NOTE:The tutor may not be a close relative (spouse, parent, child, sister, or brother) of the student.

For additional information, see the VA website: http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/admin22/m22_4/part03/ch10.doc