10 U.S.C. § 2143 — Educational assistance: amount

(a) Subject to subsection (b), a person entitled to educational assistance under this chapter may have the Secretary concerned^* pay^* educational expenses for instruction at an accredited institution. Covered expenses include tuition, fees, books, laboratory fees, and shop fees for consumable materials used in classroom or laboratory instruction. Payments are limited to educational expenses normally incurred by students at the institution.

(b)(1) The Secretary concerned must set the educational-assistance amount for one standard academic year, or its equivalent, to which a person becomes entitled when making an enlistment^* described in section 2142. The Secretary may set different amounts for different categories of people or enlistments based on service needs. Each person’s amount must be adjusted under section 2145.

(2) The amount provided to a person for one standard academic year, or its equivalent, may not exceed $1,200, adjusted under section 2145.

(c) “Accredited institution” means a civilian college or university, or a trade, technical, or vocational school, in the United States, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. It must provide postsecondary education and be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association, or by one recognized by the Secretary of Education.