38 U.S. Code § 3500 - Purpose

The Congress hereby declares that the educational program established by this chapter is for the purpose of providing opportunities for education to children whose education would otherwise be impeded or interrupted by reason of the disability or death of a parent from a disease or injury incurred or aggravated in the Armed Forces after the beginning of the Spanish-American War, and for the purpose of aiding such children in attaining the educational status which they might normally have aspired to and obtained but for the disability or death of such parent. The Congress further declares that the educational program extended to the surviving spouses of veterans who died of service-connected disabilities and to spouses of veterans with a service-connected total disability permanent in nature is for the purpose of assisting them in preparing to support themselves and their families at a standard of living level which the veteran, but for the veteran’s death or service disability, could have expected to provide for the veteran’s family.

(Added Pub. L. 90–631, § 2(a)(1), Oct. 23, 1968, 82 Stat. 1331, § 1700; amended Pub. L. 94–502, title III, § 310(1), Oct. 15, 1976, 90 Stat. 2391; renumbered § 3500, Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406.)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1991—Pub. L. 102–83 renumbered section 1700 of this title as this section.

1976—Pub. L. 94–502 substituted “surviving spouses” for “widows”, “spouses” for “wives”, and “the veteran’s” for “his” in two places.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1976 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 94–502 effective Oct. 15, 1976, see section 703(b) of Pub. L. 94–502, set out as an Effective Date note under section 3693 of this title.

Effective Date

Pub. L. 90–631, § 6(a), Oct. 23, 1968, 82 Stat. 1335, provided that:

“The amendments made by the first section and sections 2, 3, and 5 of this Act [see Tables for classification] shall take effect on the first day of the second calendar month which begins after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 23, 1968].”