The Educational Assistance Test Program (EATP) was created by the Department of Defense to encourage enlistment and reenlistment in the U.S. Army. Benefits are available to individuals who entered on active duty after September 30, 1980, and before October 1, 1981. However, if entry was under a delayed enlistment contract signed between September 30, 1980, and October 1, 1981, then benefits are available if the individual entered active duty before October 1, 1982.
Benefits earned are one academic year (nine months) of entitlement for each full calendar year of active duty served during your qualifying enlistment or reenlistment. For example, if your qualifying service lasted 40 months, your entitlement would be 30 months.
The maximum amount of entitlement earned is 36 months (four standard academic years) based on 48 months (four full years) of qualifying service.
There are two types of allowances: assistance allowance and subsistence allowance. A description of each allowance is shown below:
ASSISTANCE ALLOWANCE
Assistance allowance covers your educational expenses for instruction received at an accredited institution. Effective October 1, 2000, the total assistance allowance payable for an academic year may not exceed $3,524. Servicepersons, veterans, and dependents of servicepersons and veterans, may receive assistance allowance.
Your educational expenses include the cost of your tuition, fees, books, and the lab or shop fees for consumable materials. If entitled, you will receive assistance allowance once each term, quarter, or semester. VA issues payment at the end of the first month in which training begins, or as soon as possible thereafter.
SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCE
Effective October 1, 2000, the monthly rate of subsistence allowance for full-time training is $878.00. The monthly rate for part-time training is $439.00.
VA pays subsistence allowance for a month on the first of the following month. For example, VA issues the check for March on or about April 1.
If you are a serviceperson or the dependent of a serviceperson, you are not eligible to receive subsistence allowance. However, when you receive assistance allowance, VA will charge entitlement for both assistance and subsistence allowance. This will insure that your remaining entitlement for both allowances will always be equal.
More detailed information can be found on the VA website.
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