What is the 85/15 Rule, and How Does it Apply to Me?
When you seem to have all the details of your education benefits figured out, you learn about a new rule or term. One you may not be familiar with is the 85/15 rule, which regulates how many supported veteran students can be in a program at any given time.
What is the 85% Rule?
The 85%, or 85/15 rule, requires that a minimum of 15% of students in a program are non-Veterans – or unsupported veterans. When the number of supported students exceeds 85%, only supported students who maintain continuous enrollment can continue to qualify for their educational benefits while in that program.
The 85/15 rule protects veterans and their benefits by ensuring that a certain number of civilian students are willing to pay out of pocket for the same credits/program.
Why was the rule established? Establishment of the 85/15 Rule
In 1952, Congress established the 85% rule to shut down predatory school abuses that began shortly after implementing the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944. It's still considered a safeguard to the integrity of the GI Bill®.
Does the 85/15 Rule apply to every school?
While most educational institutions have to abide by the 85/15 rule, there are some exceptions; those are:
A farm cooperative training course
Flying clubs that operate under the Armed Forces' regulations are "non-appropriated sundry fund activities."
Programs for the completion of a high school diploma, GED, or a similar refresher course
A program or institution that does not assess tuition, fees, or other charges (typically, those sites approved for On-The-Job or Apprenticeship [APP] training only)
What happens when enrollment goes over 85%?
The VA will not pay benefits to a supported student if the program's veteran enrollment exceeds 85%. But, they will not stop the benefits if you remain continuously enrolled in the program.
Which supported students make up the 85%?
This rule applies to most students enrolled in programs using the VA's educational benefits, including chapter 35 and chapter 31 beneficiaries. It also includes VET-TEC students enrolled in SAA-approved courses count as supported, and Veterans Rapid Retraining Assistance Program students enrolled in those same courses are considered non-supported. Both chapter 35 and chapter 31 students are counted as supported students when calculating 85/15.
The ratio of supported and non-supported students in the 85/15 rule are those attending full-time. Full-time is determined by training time, not the rate of pursuit, as it is with the Post-9/11 GI Bill®️ benefits.
For more information on the 85/15 rule, visit the VA's website.