38 CFR Part 21
Vocational Rehabilitation, Employment, and Education Benefits
Chapter 31 VR&E, Post-9/11 GI Bill administration, and the Chapter 35 DEA program for dependents.
Read the official text of 38 CFR Part 21In plain English
Part 21 covers the training and education side of VA benefits. Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment pays tuition, fees, books, and a monthly subsistence allowance for veterans with an employment handicap tied to a service-connected disability.
It also governs Chapter 35 Dependents’ Educational Assistance, which opens up for the spouse and children of a veteran who is permanently and totally disabled or who died of a service-connected condition.
What the rule actually requires
- VR&E provides up to 48 months of benefits, or the part-time equivalent, for eligible veterans.
- Entitlement generally requires an employment handicap resulting from a service-connected disability.
- VR&E covers tuition, fees, books, supplies, and a monthly subsistence allowance.
- Chapter 35 DEA provides a monthly education allowance to eligible dependents.
Why this matters to your claim
A permanent and total rating quietly unlocks education money for your spouse and children. Families often discover Chapter 35 years too late to use it.
This is our plain-English summary, written for veterans — it is not the regulation itself and it is not legal advice. The controlling text is the current official version, linked above. The VA makes all final decisions about eligibility and payment.
Official text of 38 CFR Part 21
