Dependents' Educational Assistance at Philippine Schools

Dependents' Educational Assistance under chapter 35 has three rules written for the Philippines, and the Post-9/11 GI Bill has none. Nothing in chapters 30 or 33 of title 38 mentions the Philippines. Any chapter 35 student at a Philippine school is paid half. 38 U.S.C. 3532(d) says that if a program of education is pursued by an eligible person at an institution located in the Republic of the Philippines, the educational assistance allowance "shall be paid at the rate of $0.50 for each dollar." It is not limited to Filipino veterans' families. The spouse or child of any veteran who is permanently and totally disabled or who died of a service-connected cause, studying at a Philippine school, gets half the allowance they would get at a school in the United States or in any other country. The Philippines is treated like a State for what may be studied. Under 38 U.S.C. 3523(e), a chapter 35 student may not enroll in a course at a school that is not in a State or in the Philippines unless it is at an approved institution of higher learning and VA approves the course. In every other foreign country chapter 35 is limited to approved colleges and universities; in the Philippines the ordinary course rules apply, and 38 U.S.C. 3561(b) has VA itself carry out there every function the chapter gives a State, including course approval. Children of Commonwealth Army veterans and New Philippine Scouts. 38 U.S.C. 3565 makes eligible the children of a Commonwealth Army veteran or New Philippine Scout who meets chapter 35's service-connected disability or death requirements, based on that service. Their allowance and special training allowance are paid at $0.50 for each dollar wherever they study.