38 U.S.C. § 3012 — Basic educational assistance entitlement for service in the Selected Reserve

**(a)** Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, each individual— (1) who— (A) after June 30, 1985, first becomes a member of the Armed Forces or first enters on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces and— (i) serves an obligated period of active duty of at least two years of continuous active duty in the Armed Forces, subject to subsection (b) of this section, characterized by the Secretary concerned as honorable service; and (ii) subject to subsection (b) of this section and beginning within one year after completion of the service on active duty described in subclause (i) of this clause, serves at least four years of continuous duty in the Selected Reserve during which the individual participates satisfactorily in training as required by the Secretary concerned; (B) as of December 31, 1989, is eligible for educational assistance under chapter 34 of this title and was on active duty at any time during the period beginning on October 19, 1984, and ending on July 1, 1985, continued on active duty without a break in service and— (i) after June 30, 1985, serves at least two years of continuous active duty in the Armed Forces, subject to subsection (b) of this section, characterized by the Secretary concerned as honorable service; and (ii) after June 30, 1985, subject to subsection (b) of this section and beginning within one year after completion of such two years of service, serves at least four continuous years in the Selected Reserve during which the individual participates satisfactorily in training as prescribed by the Secretary concerned; or (C) as of December 31, 1989, was eligible for educational assistance under chapter 34 of this title and— (i) was not on active duty on October 19, 1984; (ii) reenlists or reenters on a period of active duty after October 19, 1984; and (iii) on or after July 1, 1985— (I) serves at least two years of continuous active duty in the Armed Forces, subject to subsection (b) of this section, characterized by the Secretary concerned as honorable service; and (II) subject to subsection (b) of this section and beginning within one year after completion of such two years of service, serves at least four continuous years in the Selected Reserve during which the individual participates satisfactorily in training as prescribed by the Secretary concerned; (2) who completes the requirements of a secondary school diploma (or equivalency certificate), or successfully completes (or otherwise receives academic credit for) the equivalent of 12 semester hours in a program of education leading to a standard college degree, before applying for benefits under this section; and (3) who, after completion of the service described in clause (1) of this subsection— (A) is discharged from service with an honorable discharge, is placed on the retired list, or is transferred to the Standby Reserve or an element of the Ready Reserve other than the Selected Reserve after service in the Selected Reserve characterized by the Secretary concerned as honorable service; or (B) continues on active duty or in the Selected Reserve; is entitled to basic educational assistance under this chapter. **(b)** (1) (A) The requirement of two years of service under clauses (1)(A)(i) and (1)(B)(i) of subsection (a) of this section is not applicable to an individual who is discharged or released, during such two years, from active duty in the Armed Forces (i) for a service-connected disability, (ii) for a medical condition which preexisted such service on active duty and which the Secretary determines is not service connected, (iii) for hardship, (iv) in the case of an individual discharged or released after 20 months of such service, for the convenience of the Government, (v) involuntarily for the convenience of the Government as a result of a reduction in force, as determined by the Secretary of the military department concerned in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense or by the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, (vi) for a physical or mental condition that was not characterized as a disability, as described in [section 3011(a)(1)(A)(ii)(I) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section3011/a/1/A/ii/I&num=0&edition=prelim), or (vii) by reason of a sole survivorship discharge (as that term is defined in [section 1174(i) of title 10](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section1174/i&num=0&edition=prelim)). (B) The requirement of four years of service under clauses (1)(A)(ii) and (1)(B)(ii) of subsection (a) of this section is not applicable to an individual— (i) who, during the two years of service described in clauses (1)(A)(i) and (1)(B)(i) of subsection (a) of this section, was discharged or released from active duty in the Armed Forces for a service-connected disability, by reason of a sole survivorship discharge (as that term is defined in [section 1174(i) of title 10](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section1174/i&num=0&edition=prelim)), for a medical condition which preexisted such service on active duty and which the Secretary determines is not service connected, or for a physical or mental condition not characterized as a disability, as described in [section 3011(a)(1)(A)(ii)(I) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section3011/a/1/A/ii/I&num=0&edition=prelim), if the individual was obligated, at the beginning of such two years of service, to serve such four years of service; (ii) who, during the four years of service described in clauses (1)(A)(ii) and (1)(B)(ii) of subsection (a) of this section, is discharged or released from service in the Selected Reserve (I) for a service-connected disability, (II) for a medical condition which preexisted the individual’s becoming a member of the Selected Reserve and which the Secretary determines is not service connected, (III) for hardship, (IV) in the case of an individual discharged or released after 30 months of such service, for the convenience of the Government, (V) involuntarily for the convenience of the Government as a result of a reduction in force, as determined by the Secretary of the military department concerned in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense or by the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, (VI) for a physical or mental condition not characterized as a disability, as described in [section 3011(a)(1)(A)(ii)(I) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section3011/a/1/A/ii/I&num=0&edition=prelim), or (VII) by reason of a sole survivorship discharge (as that term is defined in [section 1174(i) of title 10](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section1174/i&num=0&edition=prelim)); or (iii) who, before completing the four years of service described in clauses (1)(A)(ii) and (1)(B)(ii) of subsection (a) of this section, ceases to be a member of the Selected Reserve during the period beginning on October 1, 1991, and ending on September 30, 1999, by reason of the inactivation of the person’s unit of assignment or by reason of involuntarily ceasing to be designated as a member of the Selected Reserve pursuant to [section 10143(a) of title 10](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section10143/a&num=0&edition=prelim). (2) After an individual begins service in the Selected Reserve within one year after completion of the service described in clause (A)(i) or (B)(i) of subsection (a)(1) of this section, the continuity of service of such individual as a member of the Selected Reserve shall not be considered to be broken— (A) by any period of time (not to exceed a maximum period prescribed by the Secretary concerned by regulation) during which the member is not able to locate a unit of the Selected Reserve of the member’s Armed Force that the member is eligible to join or that has a vacancy; or (B) by any other period of time (not to exceed a maximum period prescribed by the Secretary concerned by regulation) during which the member is not attached to a unit of the Selected Reserve that the Secretary concerned, pursuant to regulations, considers to be inappropriate to consider for such purpose. **(c)** (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the basic pay of any individual described in subsection (a)(1)(A) of this section who does not make an election under subsection (d)(1) of this section shall be reduced by $100 for each of the first 12 months that such individual is entitled to such pay. (2) In the case of an individual covered by paragraph (1) who is a member of the Selected Reserve, the Secretary of Defense shall collect from the individual an amount equal to $1,200 not later than one year after completion by the individual of the two years of service on active duty providing the basis for such entitlement. The Secretary of Defense may collect such amount through reductions in basic pay in accordance with paragraph (1) or through such other method as the Secretary of Defense considers appropriate. (3) Any amount by which the basic pay of an individual is reduced under this subsection shall revert to the Treasury and shall not, for purposes of any Federal law, be considered to have been received by or to be within the control of such individual. **(d)** (1) An individual described in subsection (a)(1)(A) of this section may make an election not to receive educational assistance under this chapter. Any such election shall be made at the time the individual initially enters on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces. Any individual who makes such an election is not entitled to educational assistance under this chapter. (2) An individual who after December 31, 1976, receives a commission as an officer in the Armed Forces upon graduation from the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, or the Coast Guard Academy is not eligible for educational assistance under this section. (3) An individual who after December 31, 1976, receives a commission as an officer in the Armed Forces upon completion of a program of educational assistance under [section 2107 of title 10](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section2107&num=0&edition=prelim) is not eligible for educational assistance under this section if the individual enters on active duty— (A) before October 1, 1996; or (B) after September 30, 1996, and while participating in such program received more than $3,400 for each year of such participation. **(e)** (1) An individual described in subclause (I) or (III) of subsection (b)(1)(B)(ii) of this section may elect entitlement to basic educational assistance under [section 3011 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section3011&num=0&edition=prelim), based on an obligated period of active duty of two years, in lieu of entitlement to assistance under this section. (2) An individual who makes the election described in paragraph (1) of this subsection shall, for all purposes of this chapter, be considered entitled to educational assistance under [section 3011 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section3011&num=0&edition=prelim) and not under this section. Such an election is irrevocable. **(f)** (1) Any individual eligible for educational assistance under this section who does not make an election under subsection (d)(1) may contribute amounts for purposes of receiving an increased amount of basic educational assistance as provided for under [section 3015(g) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section3015/g&num=0&edition=prelim). Such contributions shall be in addition to any reductions in the basic pay of such individual under subsection (c). (2) An individual covered by paragraph (1) may make the contributions authorized by that paragraph at any time while on active duty, but not more frequently than monthly. (3) The total amount of the contributions made by an individual under paragraph (1) may not exceed $600. Such contributions shall be made in multiples of $20. (4) Contributions under this subsection shall be made to the Secretary of the military department concerned. That Secretary shall deposit any amounts received as contributions under this subsection into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. **(g)** (1) The Secretary concerned shall inform any member of the Armed Forces who has not completed that member’s initial service (as described in paragraph (2)) and who indicates the intent to be discharged or released from such service for the convenience of the Government of the minimum service requirements for entitlement to educational assistance benefits under this chapter. Such information shall be provided to the member in a timely manner. (2) The initial service referred to in paragraph (1) is the initial obligated period of active duty (described in subparagraph (A)(i) or (B)(i) of subsection (a)(1)) or the period of service in the Selected Reserve (described in subparagraphs (A)(ii) or (B)(ii) of subsection (a)(1)).