Reducing Barriers for Veterans Education Act of 2017

Reducing Barriers for Veterans Education Act of 2017

This bill makes an individual who is eligible for educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance program eligible for assistance with the fees for applying to institutions of higher education (IHEs).

The amount of such assistance payable to an individual shall be the lesser of: (1) the total application fees charged to the individual by the IHEs, or (2) $750.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1206 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1206

To amend title 38, United States Code, to include the cost of applying 
 to an institution of higher learning as part of the benefits provided 
          under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 21, 2017

 Mr. Messer (for himself, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. Ryan of Ohio, 
Mr. Connolly, Mr. Walker, Mr. Yarmuth, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Miss Rice 
  of New York, Mr. Rush, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Heck, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. 
 Delaney, Mr. Cicilline, Ms. Judy Chu of California, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. 
Byrne, Mr. LoBiondo, Ms. Stefanik, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Katko, Mr. King of 
 New York, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Perlmutter, Mr. Wittman, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. 
 Carbajal, Mr. Meehan, Mr. Issa, Mrs. Bustos, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Stivers, 
   Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. Faso, and Mr. Franks of Arizona) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

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                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to include the cost of applying 
 to an institution of higher learning as part of the benefits provided 
          under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Reducing Barriers for Veterans 
Education Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. COSTS OF APPLYING TO INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 3315A the following new section:
``Sec. 3315B. Costs of applying to institution of higher learning
    ``(a) In General.--An individual entitled to educational assistance 
under this chapter shall also be entitled to educational assistance for 
the application fee required to apply to an approved program of 
education at an institution of higher learning.
    ``(b) Amount.--The total amount of educational assistance payable 
under this chapter to an individual for applications described in 
subsection (a) is the lesser of--
            ``(1) the total application fees charged to the individual 
        by the institutions of higher learning; or
            ``(2) $750.
    ``(c) Charge Against Entitlement.--The number of months (and any 
fraction thereof) of entitlement charged an individual under this 
chapter for an application described in subsection (a) shall be 
determined at the rate of one month for each amount that equals the 
amount determined under section 3315A(c)(2) of this title.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
3315A the following new item:

``3315B. Costs of applying to institution of higher learning.''.
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