Proposed Rule2026-00634
Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 15, 2026
Issuing agencies
Veterans Affairs Department
Abstract
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposes to amend the Veteran Readiness and Employment and Education regulations to incorporate the provisions of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (Colmery Act) that created the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship (STEM Scholarship), which provides up to nine months of additional Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to certain eligible individuals. This proposed rulemaking, which includes the rules necessary to provide this educational assistance to eligible individuals, would also incorporate the provisions of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Isakson-Roe Act) that further expanded the eligibility for the STEM Scholarship to individuals enrolled in a dual degree program that includes an undergraduate degree in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field and to certain individuals enrolled in a covered clinical training program for health care professionals.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 10 (Thursday, January 15, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 10 (Thursday, January 15, 2026)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 1726-1732]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00634]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
38 CFR Part 21
[Docket No. VA-2025-VBA-0172]
RIN 2900-AS38
Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposes to amend the
Veteran Readiness and Employment and Education regulations to
incorporate the provisions of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational
Assistance Act of 2017 (Colmery Act) that created the Edith Nourse
Rogers STEM Scholarship (STEM Scholarship), which provides up to nine
months of additional Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to certain eligible
individuals. This proposed rulemaking, which includes the rules
necessary to provide this educational assistance to eligible
individuals, would also incorporate the provisions of the Johnny
Isakson and David P. Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement
Act of 2020 (Isakson-Roe Act) that further expanded the eligibility for
the STEM Scholarship to individuals enrolled in a dual degree program
that includes an undergraduate degree in a science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field and to certain individuals
enrolled in a covered clinical training program for health care
professionals.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 16, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments through <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> under
RIN 2900-AS38. That website includes a plain-language summary of this
rulemaking. Instructions for accessing agency documents, submitting
comments and viewing the rulemaking docket are available on
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> under ``FAQ.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Alphonso, Assistant Director,
Policy and Procedures, Education Service, Veterans Benefits
Administration, (202) 461-9800.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 16, 2017, the President signed
into law the Colmery Act, Public Law 115-48. Section 111 of the Colmery
Act added a new section, 38 U.S.C. 3320, and provided VA the authority
to establish the STEM Scholarship to provide up to nine months of
additional Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to eligible individuals. These
benefits cannot be transferred to
[[Page 1727]]
dependents. This section of the law was effective on August 1, 2019.
On January 5, 2021, the Isakson-Roe Act, Public Law 116-315, was
signed into law. Section 1001 of the Isakson-Roe Act, entitled
``Improvements to Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship Program of
Department of Veterans Affairs,'' amended 38 U.S.C. 3320. Previously,
only individuals enrolled in a program of education leading to a
standard, undergraduate college degree in an approved STEM field or
enrolled in a program of education leading to a teaching certification
after earning a post-secondary degree in a STEM field were eligible for
the STEM Scholarship. The Isakson-Roe Act expanded the eligibility for
the STEM Scholarship to include individuals enrolled in a dual degree
program that includes a STEM undergraduate degree and certain
individuals enrolled in a covered clinical training program for health
care professionals.
The Isakson-Roe Act also authorized VA to prioritize certain
individuals for selection for the program when sufficient funds are not
available in a fiscal year to provide additional benefits under this
section to all eligible individuals. In addition, the Isakson-Roe Act
excluded additional months of assistance under the STEM Scholarship
from the calculation of the aggregate months of benefits available
under the 48-month benefits limitation under 38 U.S.C. 3695.
The STEM Scholarship enables veterans to earn degrees that prepare
them for in-demand careers in the fast-growing science and technology
economy. VA has been administering the STEM Scholarship since the
statute was first effective on August 1, 2019, and is proposing to
create a new regulation at 38 CFR 21.9800 to complete the
implementation of the STEM Scholarship under 38 U.S.C. 3320.
Eligibility
Under 38 U.S.C. 3320(b), an individual is eligible for the STEM
Scholarship if the individual is or was entitled to educational
assistance under 38 U.S.C. 3311 (including spouses and children
eligible for the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship
under 38 U.S.C. 3311(f) and Purple Heart recipients under 38 U.S.C.
3311(b)(11)) and either used all of the educational assistance to which
they were entitled under section 3311 or will use all such assistance
within 180 days of applying for benefits under 38 U.S.C. 3320.
Individuals must either be pursuing a STEM degree or have already
earned a STEM degree to be eligible for the STEM Scholarship. The
specific types of programs of education that qualify for assistance
under the STEM Scholarship are: a program of education leading to a
post-secondary undergraduate degree in a STEM field; a dual degree
program that includes an undergraduate college degree in an approved
STEM degree field; a program of education leading to a teaching
certification; or a covered clinical training program for health care
professionals.
Individuals pursuing a post-secondary degree must have completed at
least 60 standard semester credit hours (or 90 quarter credit hours) in
a STEM program requiring at least the standard 120 semester credit
hours (or 180 quarter credit hours) for completion to be eligible for
the STEM Scholarship. Individuals enrolled in a teaching certification
program must have earned a post-secondary degree in a STEM field to be
eligible for the STEM Scholarship. Regarding covered clinical training
programs for health care professionals, 38 U.S.C. 3320(b)(4)(B) and (C)
explicitly refer to a covered clinical training program as a program in
which an individual is enrolled after earning a post-secondary degree
or graduate degree, respectively, in a STEM field.
Section 3320(h) states that the term ``covered clinical training
program means any clinical training required by a health care
professional to be licensed to practice in a State or locality.''
Because section 3320(b)(4)(B) and (C) refers to clinical training
programs that follow attainment of a post-secondary or graduate degree,
covered clinical training programs for the purposes of the STEM
Scholarship are separate, standalone clinical training programs that
are not a component of an undergraduate or graduate degree program. For
example, a medical residency after graduating from a Doctorate in
Medicine program is considered to be a separate program of education
than the Doctorate in Medicine program and is therefore eligible for
the STEM Scholarship. Simply obtaining a Doctorate in Medicine does not
automatically grant a license to practice medicine. The individual
still needs to complete a medical residency to be eligible to become a
licensed health care provider.
The eligibility requirements discussed in section 3320(b) are
included in 38 CFR 21.9800(b) and (c). The definition for the term
``covered clinical training program for health care professionals'' is
included in Sec. 21.9800(m)(2).
Approval of the Selected Program of Education
To be approved for the STEM Scholarship, the student's program of
education must meet VA's current definition of a program of education
as defined in 38 CFR 21.9505. The student must be enrolled in a program
of education approved under Chapter 36 for VA educational assistance
benefits. In addition, the program of education must lead to an
undergraduate college degree, a teaching certification, or dual degrees
that include a STEM undergraduate degree, or the program can qualify as
a covered clinical training program for health care professionals.
Originally, as enacted by section 111 of Public Law 115-48, only an
individual enrolled in an approved STEM field while pursuing a
standard, undergraduate college degree or an individual enrolled in a
program of education leading to a teaching certification after earning
a post-secondary degree in an approved STEM field was eligible for the
STEM Scholarship. However, section 1001 of Public Law 116-315 expanded
eligibility to include individuals enrolled in a dual degree program
that includes an undergraduate degree in an approved STEM field, as
well as individuals who have earned an undergraduate or graduate degree
in an approved STEM degree field and are enrolled in a covered clinical
training program for health care professionals. Covered clinical
training, for the purposes of the STEM Scholarship, is defined as a
separate, standalone clinical training program required for health care
professionals to be able to practice in a State or locality and does
not include clinical training that is part of an undergraduate or
graduate degree program.
Further, section 1001 removed ``a medical residency program'' from
the approved list of undergraduate STEM degree programs. Medical
residency programs are graduate level programs and not a part of
undergraduate degree programs. Therefore, the previous inclusion of
``undergraduate college degree in . . . medical residency program[s]''
was nonsensical. To eliminate any confusion and correctly categorize
medical residencies, as well as to broaden the category to include
other similar types of training programs, section 1001 created new
categories for ``clinical training program[s] for health care
professionals'' (post-undergraduate and post-graduate level).
Therefore, the proposed regulation does not include ``medical residency
programs'' in the list of approved STEM degree programs
[[Page 1728]]
with the knowledge that such programs are now included in the new
category of ``a covered clinical training program for health care
professionals.''
VA proposes to define the term ``STEM field'' as a field included
in the Department of Education's (ED) Classification of Instructional
Programs (CIP Code) taxonomy within the two-digit series containing
biological or biomedical science, physical science, science
technologies or technicians, computer and information science and
support services, mathematics or statistics, engineering, engineering
technologies or an engineering-related field, a health profession or
related program, an agriculture science or natural resources science
program, or other subjects and fields identified by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs as meeting national needs. In general, any other
subjects and fields identified by the Secretary as meeting national
needs would involve research, innovation, or development of new
technologies using engineering, mathematics, health care, computer
science, or natural sciences. VA would rely heavily on ED's CIP Code to
match the statute's list of eligible STEM fields with individual
programs of study. VA has made the decision to defer mostly to ED's
classification scheme to leverage ED's expertise in these matters and
ED's efforts in developing and maintaining the comprehensive CIP Code
taxonomy. Furthermore, it would be problematic for ED to classify a
program as non-STEM while VA classifies it as STEM; VA does not want to
create inconsistencies in similar determinations between two Federal
agencies; therefore, VA will rely heavily on ED's CIP Code
categorization when determining the appropriate classification of a
program of education. While VA recognizes that VA-designated STEM
fields not listed under ED's CIP Code taxonomy could create
classification differences, VA has statutory authority to use
discretion to identify emerging STEM disciplines meeting national
needs, particularly those directly supporting veteran workforce
integration. VA will coordinate with ED to minimize inconsistencies. VA
proposes to codify this definition in 38 CFR 21.9800(m)(1).
After completing an undergraduate degree in an approved STEM
program, individuals may also qualify for the additional benefits if
they are pursuing a teaching certification (typically obtained through
a teaching preparation program or alternative teaching certification
program). Teaching certification is the process by which prospective
educators get teacher licensing to teach within a given area after
completing required coursework, degrees, tests, and other specified
criteria.
The Secretary, or his or her designee, will maintain the STEM
Designated Degree Program List, which will be a complete list of
qualifying degree program categories organized by the CIP Codes and
will be published on the GI Bill website at <a href="https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/docs/fgib/STEM_Program_List.pdf">https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/docs/fgib/STEM_Program_List.pdf</a>. Changes that are made to the
STEM Designated Degree Program List will also be published in a notice
in the Federal Register. All program categories included on the list
must be consistent with the definition set forth in Sec.
21.9800(m)(1). If the Secretary, or his or her designee, identifies
other subjects or fields as meeting national needs, VA will notify
Congress 90 days before approving any additional approved fields of
study or subjects and will submit any analysis of labor market supply
and demand used to identify such subjects or fields. VA is proposing to
implement the provisions of 38 U.S.C. 3320(b)(4)(A)(i) and (g) in 38
CFR 21.9800(m).
Applying for the STEM Scholarship
An eligible individual would be required to apply for the STEM
Scholarship by completing VA Form 22-10203 online, which would then be
processed by the designated Regional Processing Office. The application
process is no longer completed through paper submissions but is now
being handled electronically. This streamlined process enables the
applicant to log directly into a secured application portal with
identification verification. The online application also requires
applicants to provide the name and address of the school or training
establishment they plan to attend and date they plan to start training.
The school information provided by the applicant will be matched to
VA's database of educational institution information. A portion of the
application form must be completed by the School Certifying Official
(SCO) within 12 months of the date VA receives the application. If VA
does not receive a timely response from the school, a VA claims
processor will follow up with the SCO, as only complete applications
will be considered for the STEM Scholarship. If a school fails to
provide the requested information within the allotted time frame, VA
reserves the authority to deny the application. VA is proposing to
codify these standard procedures implementing the above application
requirements in Sec. 21.9800(d).
In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 3320(c), if VA determines that there
are insufficient funds in a fiscal year to provide STEM Scholarship
benefits to all eligible applicants, VA would prioritize eligible
applicants according to particular criteria as described in the
Priority selection section below. The two ways that VA has considered
performing this prioritization of applicants are to create application
cohorts by either withholding application decisions for a certain time
period or until a certain number of applications are received. To
balance the potential need to prioritize applications with the need to
provide timely decisions on applications, VA has decided to create
monthly cohorts for the purposes of performing the section 3320(c)
prioritization. Candidates would be selected from the monthly cohort on
the 7th day of each month. A scholarship would be only awarded if funds
are available at the time of selection (the 7th of each month) and the
applicant is of sufficient priority over other applicants in the
respective monthly cohort. VA proposes to provide the priority
selection criteria in 38 CFR 21.9800(g).
After VA reviews a STEM Scholarship application, it would issue
either a STEM Scholarship denial letter or a STEM Scholarship
acknowledgement letter. VA would send a denial letter if the applicant
is ineligible for the STEM Scholarship or if there are insufficient
funds available to select the applicant for the STEM Scholarship. If
the applicant is ineligible, the denial letter would state the specific
eligibility criteria that the applicant failed to meet. The
acknowledgement letter would inform the applicant that they meet the
STEM Scholarship eligibility criteria but that the scholarship
selection process has not yet occurred at that juncture. The STEM
Scholarship acknowledgement letter was a more critical status update to
applicants when the STEM Scholarship program was launched in 2019
because, at that time, the selection process was only done quarterly
rather than monthly. Therefore, the acknowledgement letter served as an
indication to applicants that they met the STEM Scholarship eligibility
criteria, but that notification of a selection decision might have
taken a few months until the end of each quarter. Even though selection
is now done monthly, the acknowledgement letter would still serve as a
useful indicator of the status of their application by advising the
applicant that their STEM Scholarship application has been processed
but they have yet to
[[Page 1729]]
be selected for the program. They would receive an additional STEM
Scholarship selection letter if they are selected to participate.
Once the applicant is officially selected for the STEM Scholarship,
VA would send a STEM Scholarship selection letter to the candidate who
then must take this letter to their school to certify their enrollment
to VA. This selection letter for the STEM Scholarship program would act
as a Certificate of Eligibility. After VA receives an official
enrollment certification from the school, VA would send an award letter
to the applicant. VA is proposing to codify provisions regarding
decisions and notices of decisions in Sec. 21.9800(h).
Beginning and Discontinuance Dates
Funding for STEM Scholarships is released on an annual basis
beginning October 1st of each fiscal year. August 1st is the date that
marks the beginning of the new academic year for STEM Scholarships. In
order to prevent STEM funds in each fiscal year from being
underutilized, the recipient would be required to begin using the
benefit within six months of their selection or their scholarship would
be forfeited. Recipients can reapply if their scholarship is forfeited
and reestablish eligibility for the scholarship. Once a STEM
Scholarship is awarded, the recipient must use the additional benefits
from the STEM Scholarship within two years from the date that the award
was first made (the beginning date) or by a discontinuance date under
Sec. 21.9635, whichever comes first. VA is proposing to codify this
beginning date language in Sec. 21.9800(e) and discontinuance date
language in Sec. 21.9800(f).
Priority Selection
When first enacted under the Colmery Act, 38 U.S.C. 3320(c)
required VA to prioritize applications from the following eligible
individuals: (1) individuals requiring the most credit hours to
complete their program of education, and (2) individuals entitled to
100 percent of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits (which includes veterans and
servicemembers who have met certain active-duty service requirements,
spouses and children eligible for the Fry Scholarship, and Purple Heart
recipients).
When Congress amended the statute under the Isakson-Roe Act, it
made the groups listed above optional prioritization groups by stating
that, in the event that funding is not sufficient, VA ``may give
priority'' to those individuals, see section 3320(c)(1), and added a
new paragraph listing the following order of required prioritizations
in section. 3320(c)(2): (1) individuals enrolled in an undergraduate
STEM degree program; (2) individuals enrolled in a program of education
leading to a teaching certificate; (3) individuals enrolled in a dual
degree program where the individual is pursuing both a STEM
undergraduate degree and a STEM graduate degree; (4) individuals who
have earned an undergraduate degree and are enrolled in a covered
clinical training program for health care professionals; (5)
individuals who have earned a graduate degree and are enrolled in a
covered clinical training program for health care professionals; and
(6) all other eligible individuals.
Under proposed 38 CFR 21.9800(g)(1), for enrollment periods
beginning before January 5, 2021 (the effective date of the Isakson-Roe
Act amendments), VA would prioritize applications using the original
mandatory prioritization criteria that were included in the Colmery
Act. Under proposed Sec. 21.9800(g)(2), for enrollment periods
beginning on or after January 5, 2021, should VA need to prioritize
applications among eligible STEM Scholarship applicants due to
insufficient funds, VA would first group applications using the
priority criteria under 38 U.S.C. 3320(c)(2), and would then prioritize
the eligible individuals within each group based on which applicants
within the group have the most remaining required credit hours, per
section 3320(c)(1)(A). VA believes that using the priority criteria of
most remaining required credit hours under section 3320(c)(1)(A) is
preferable to using the priority criteria of all individuals entitled
to 100 percent of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits under section
3320(c)(1)(B). The reason for this is because many recipients of VA
educational assistance are entitled to 100 percent of Post-9/11 GI Bill
benefits and, therefore, applying that criterion to a large group of
applicants would not effectively serve the purpose of narrowing the
pool of eligible applicants for prioritization in the event of
insufficient funds. The following is an example of how VA would use
this prioritization scheme:
VA has enough funds to provide STEM Scholarship benefits to all
eligible individuals pursuing undergraduate STEM degrees, including
dual undergraduate STEM degrees (priority group 1), all eligible
individuals enrolled in teacher certificate programs (priority group
2), all eligible individuals enrolled in dual degree programs where the
undergraduate and graduate degrees are both in a STEM field (priority
group 3), but does not have enough funds to provide benefits to the
rest of the STEM Scholarship eligible individuals. In this scenario, VA
would prioritize within the group of individuals who have earned an
undergraduate degree in a STEM field and are enrolled in a covered
clinical training program for health care professionals (priority group
4) based on those who have the most remaining required credit hours to
complete their program of education.
Section 1001 of Public Law 116-315 applies to terms that begin on
or after January 5, 2021. Retroactive benefits would not be paid for
terms or programs that began and ended prior to the January 5, 2021,
date of enactment. However, students enrolled in programs of education
that began prior to January 5, 2021, and have a completion date after
January 5, 2021, would become eligible for assistance for any
additional terms beginning on or after January 5, 2021.
In addition, these changes apply to individuals who were deemed
eligible for the STEM Scholarship prior to the date of enactment, but
who did not begin their STEM program terms until on or after January 5,
2021. For example, if a student was eligible for the STEM Scholarship
and attended a term that ran from November 1, 2020, to January 31,
2021, that term would not have been covered by the STEM Scholarship.
However, if that same student began a new term on February 1, 2021,
then that new term would have been evaluated for eligibility under the
revised statute, with the amendments made by section 1001 of Public Law
116-315.
VA is proposing to codify the prioritization requirements in 38 CFR
21.9800(g).
Amount of Assistance
Under the STEM Scholarship, VA is authorized to pay each eligible
individual the monthly amount payable under 38 U.S.C. 3313 for not more
than nine months, and the aggregate amount paid may not exceed $30,000.
Additionally, the total amount of STEM Scholarship benefits paid to all
eligible individuals may not exceed $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2019,
$75,000,000 for fiscal years 2020 to 2022, and $100,000,000 for fiscal
year 2023 and each subsequent fiscal year. In accordance with section
3313, students may be eligible for assistance with tuition and fees, a
monthly housing stipend, and a stipend for books, supplies, equipment,
and other educational costs. In accordance with section 3320(d), these
same benefits are
[[Page 1730]]
payable under the STEM Scholarship. VA is proposing to implement these
provisions regarding the amount of assistance in 38 CFR 21.9800(i).
Additional Assistance Under Yellow Ribbon Program
Individuals who are entitled to the 100-percent level of the
educational assistance amounts listed in 38 U.S.C. 3313(c)(1) are also
eligible to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program under section
3317, if the schools they attend participate in this program. The
Yellow Ribbon Program allows an institution of higher learning to
voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund half of the
remaining tuition and fees in excess of the tuition and fees cap
defined in the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Pursuant to section 3320(d)(2) and
(3), colleges and universities are permitted to pay Yellow Ribbon
benefits for STEM Scholarship recipients; however, VA is not authorized
to match or issue any Yellow Ribbon payments for STEM Scholarship
recipients. VA is proposing to implement the limits on the amount of VA
benefits paid to educational institutions in 38 CFR 21.9800(j).
Prohibition on Benefits Transfer
Per 38 U.S.C. 3320(e), a participant who receives additional
benefits under the STEM Scholarship cannot transfer any such benefits
to his or her dependents. VA is proposing to implement this prohibition
on transferring STEM Scholarship benefits in 38 CFR 21.9800(k).
Exclusion From Aggregate Assistance Limitation
Under 38 U.S.C. 3695, individuals who receive educational
assistance under multiple VA programs are generally capped at 48 months
of aggregate assistance (individuals who receive Chapter 35 Survivors'
and Dependents' Educational Assistance have a higher aggregate cap of
81 months). Per section 3320(d)(4), assistance received under the STEM
Scholarship program does not count towards the 48-month aggregate
assistance limitations contained in section 3695(a). VA is proposing to
implement this provision under 38 CFR 21.9800(l).
Executive Orders 12866, 13563, and 14192
VA examined the impact of this rulemaking as required by Executive
Orders 12866 (Sept. 30, 1993) and 13563 (Jan. 18, 2011), which direct
agencies to assess all costs and benefits of available regulatory
alternatives and, if regulation is necessary, to select regulatory
approaches that maximize net benefits. The Office of Information and
Regulatory Affairs has determined that this rulemaking is not a
significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866, as
supplemented by Executive Order 13563. This rule is not an Executive
Order 14192 regulatory action because this rule is not significant
under Executive Order 12866. The regulatory impact analysis associated
with this rulemaking can be found as a supporting document at
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Secretary hereby certifies that this proposed rule would not
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities as they are defined in the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5
U.S.C. 601-612). The factual basis for this certification is based on
the fact that this rule would codify in regulations procedures for the
Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship program that are already
administered under current VA policies authorized by 38 U.S.C. 3320.
The only operational requirement imposed on educational institutions is
the certification of students' enrollment and information to VA, which
would align with existing practices under VA education benefit
programs. While some participating institutions may be small entities,
VA anticipates that any economic impact would be minimal, as these
administrative tasks are routine. Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 605(b), the
Secretary certifies that this proposed rule would not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities,
and an initial or final regulatory flexibility analysis is not
required.
Unfunded Mandates
This proposed rule would not result in the expenditure by State,
local, and Tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private
sector, of $100 million or more (adjusted annually for inflation) in
any one year.
Paperwork Reduction Act
Although this proposed rule contains collection of information
under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
3501-3521), there are no provisions associated with this rulemaking
constituting any new collection of information or any revisions to the
existing collection of information. The collection of information for
section 111 of the Colmery Act, Public Law 115-48, and section 1001 of
the Isakson-Roe Act, Public Law 116-315, is currently approved by the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and has been assigned OMB control
number 2900-0878 under VA Form 22-10203, the Application for Edith
Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship. Both the applicants and their
respective training institutions are required to complete the form.
Applicants are required to provide the name and complete address of the
school or training establishment they are planning to attend and date
they plan to start training. Training institutions then certify the
information provided to VA.
List of Subjects in 38 CFR Part 21
Administrative practice and procedure, Armed forces, Claims,
Colleges and universities, Education, Employment, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Schools, Veterans, Vocational education.
Signing Authority
Douglas A. Collins, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, approved this
document on December 12, 2025, and authorized the undersigned to sign
and submit the document to the Office of the Federal Register for
publication electronically as an official document of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
Taylor N. Mattson,
Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Veterans
Affairs.
For the reasons stated in the preamble, the Department of Veterans
Affairs proposes to amend 38 CFR part 21 as set forth below:
PART 21--VETERAN READINESS AND EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION
Subpart P--Post-9/11 GI Bill
0
1. The authority citation for part 21, subpart P continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501(a), 512, chs. 33, 36 and as noted in
specific sections.
0
2. Add Sec. 21.9800 to read as follows:
Sec. 21.9800 Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship.
(a) General. The Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship provides
additional Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to certain eligible individuals.
For the purposes of this section a post-secondary degree is defined as
a standard, undergraduate degree. The Edith Nourse Rogers STEM
Scholarship is hereinafter referred to as the ``STEM Scholarship.''
(b) Eligibility.
(1) For the purposes of this section, an eligible individual is an
individual who--
[[Page 1731]]
(i) Is or was entitled to Post-9/11 GI Bill educational assistance
under Sec. 21.9520;
(ii) Has used all the Post-9/11 GI Bill educational assistance to
which the individual is entitled or, based on the individual's rate of
usage, will use all his or her Post-9/11 GI Bill educational assistance
within 180 days of applying for benefits under this section; and
(iii) Is enrolled, at the time the individual applies for the STEM
Scholarship, in a program of education that meets the requirements of
paragraph (c) of this section.
(2) Individuals seeking to use the STEM Scholarship while enrolled
in a program of education that leads to a post-secondary degree under
paragraph (c)(3) of this section must have completed 60 standard
semester credit hours or 90 quarter credit hours in a STEM field to be
an eligible individual.
(3) Individuals seeking to use the STEM Scholarship while enrolled
in a program of education leading to a teaching certification under
paragraph (c)(4) of this section must have earned a post-secondary
degree in a STEM field to be an eligible individual.
(4) Individuals seeking to use the STEM Scholarship while enrolled
in a covered clinical training program for health care professionals
under paragraph (c)(6) of this section must have earned either a post-
secondary or graduate degree in a STEM field.
(c) Approval of the selected program of education. VA may approve a
STEM Scholarship program of education if the program:
(1) Meets the definition of a program of education in Sec.
21.9505;
(2) Meets the approval criteria as set in VA's current definition
of a program of education as defined in Sec. 21.9505 and;
(3) Is a program of education that:
(i) Leads to a post-secondary degree from an educational
institution that requires at least the standard 120 semester (or 180
quarter) credit hours for completion in a STEM field; or
(ii) Leads to a teaching certification; or
(iii) Leads to dual degrees that include a STEM undergraduate
degree; or
(iv) Is a covered clinical training program for health care
professionals.
These criteria are described by the following table--
Program of Education Eligibility for STEM Scholarship
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Secondary degree/ Eligible for
Initial degree/program type program type STEM scholarship
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enrolled in a standard, None.................. Yes.
undergraduate degree program
in an approved STEM field.
Enrolled in a standard, Enrolled in a Yes.
undergraduate degree program standard,
in a non-STEM field. undergraduate degree
program in an
approved STEM field.
Enrolled in a standard, Enrolled in a graduate No.
undergraduate degree program degree program in an
in a Non-STEM field. approved STEM field.
Completed a standard, Enrolled in a covered Yes.
undergraduate degree program clinical training
in an approved STEM field. program for health
care professionals or
a program of
education leading to
a teaching
certification.
Completed a graduate degree Enrolled in a covered Yes.
program in an approved STEM clinical training
field. program for health
care professionals.
Enrolled in a graduate degree None.................. No.
program in a non-STEM field.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Chart assumes that all other requirements are met.
(d) Applying for STEM Scholarship. Individuals shall apply for the
STEM Scholarship by completing the appropriate electronic form
prescribed by the Secretary. A portion of the form must be completed by
the School Certifying Official (SCO) within 12 months of the date VA
receives the application. Only complete applications will be considered
for the STEM Scholarship. VA reserves the authority to deny the
application if the school fails to provide the requested information
within the allotted time frame. Denied applicants may reapply;
reapplications from scholarship recipients who reach their delimiting
date per 38 U.S.C. 3321 or exhaust their scholarship award assistance
under paragraph (i) of this section will be denied.
(e) Beginning dates. VA will determine the beginning date of a
scholarship award under this section. In no case will the beginning
date be earlier than August 1, 2019. The recipient is required to begin
using the benefit within six months of their selection or the
scholarship will be forfeited. When an eligible individual enters or
reenters into a program of education (including a reentrance following
a change of program or educational institution), the beginning date of
his or her award of educational assistance under this section will be
the latest of the following dates:
(1) August 1, 2019;
(2) Participant's first day of class; or
(3) The first day of class after the participant exhausts the
remaining Post 9/11 GI Bill entitlement.
(f) Discontinuance date. The period of eligibility for an
individual awarded educational assistance under this section will
terminate on the earliest of the following:
(1) A discontinuance date per Sec. 21.9635 (discontinuance dates
per Sec. 21.9635 will be applied to this scholarship); or
(2) Two years from the beginning date of the award as specified
under paragraph (e) of this section.
(g) Priority selection.
(1) VA will establish monthly cohorts of scholarship applicants for
the purpose of performing prioritization under 38 U.S.C. 3320(c).
(i) Candidates will be selected from each monthly cohort on the 7th
calendar day of each month.
(ii) A scholarship will be awarded if:
(A) Funds are available at the time of selection; and
(B) The applicant is of sufficient priority over other applicants
in the respective monthly cohort.
(2) For enrollment periods that begin before January 5, 2021, VA
will give the following individuals priority consideration:
(i) Eligible individuals who require the most remaining program
credit hours to complete their program of education; and
(ii) Individuals who are entitled to the 100 percent educational
assistance rate under 38 U.S.C. 3311(b)(1), (2), (8), (9), (10), or
(11).
(3) For enrollment periods that begin on or after January 5, 2021,
in the event that there are not sufficient funds
[[Page 1732]]
available in a fiscal year to provide additional benefits under this
section to all eligible individuals, VA will give the following
individuals priority consideration in the order listed. Eligible
applicants within each group will be further prioritized based on the
most remaining required credit hours:
(i) Individuals enrolled in an undergraduate degree program in a
STEM field;
(ii) Individuals enrolled in a program of education leading to a
teaching certificate;
(iii) Individuals enrolled in a dual degree program where the
individual is pursuing both an undergraduate degree in a STEM field and
a graduate degree in a STEM field;
(iv) Individuals who have earned an undergraduate degree and are
enrolled in a covered clinical training program for health care
professionals;
(v) Individuals who have earned a graduate degree and are enrolled
in a covered clinical training program for health care professionals;
(vi) All other eligible individuals.
(h) Notices of decisions.
(1) VA will provide written notice of a decision on an application
made under this section, which shall clearly state the reasons for the
decision and shall provide an explanation of the procedure for
obtaining review of the decision. Each notification shall also include
all of the following:
(i) Identification of the issues adjudicated.
(ii) A summary of the evidence considered by the Secretary.
(iii) A summary of the applicable laws and regulations.
(iv) Identification of findings favorable to the claimant.
(v) In the case of a denial, identification of elements not
satisfied leading to the denial.
(vi) An explanation of how to obtain or access evidence used in
making the decision.
(2) If VA denies an application due to ineligibility, VA shall
state the specific eligibility criteria that the application did not
satisfy. In the event that an applicant meets all the eligibility
criteria but there is inadequate funding in the academic year, VA will
notify the applicant that VA cannot approve the application due to
limited funding. VA may issue an acknowledgement letter to inform the
applicant that they meet the eligibility criteria but have not yet been
selected. VA will issue a selection letter if they are selected.
(i) Amount of assistance. An eligible individual may receive
additional educational assistance under this section, not to exceed a
total of 9 months or $30,000. Additional assistance under this section
may consist of--
(1) Payment of tuition and fees directly to the educational
institution in accordance with the rules in Sec. Sec. 21.9640 and
21.9641;
(2) A monthly housing allowance in accordance with the rules in
Sec. Sec. 21.9640(b) and 21.9641(c); and
(3) A book stipend in accordance with the rules in Sec. Sec.
21.9640(b) and 21.9641(d).
(j) Additional assistance under Yellow Ribbon Program. An eligible
individual who receives additional assistance under the Yellow Ribbon
Program may receive contributions from a school under Sec. 21.9700.
However, VA cannot match any dollar amount provided by the school.
(k) Prohibition on transfer of benefits. An eligible individual who
receives additional educational assistance under this section is
prohibited from transferring such additional assistance to a dependent.
(l) Exclusion from aggregate assistance limitation. Any additional
benefits received under this section may not be counted toward the
aggregate 48-month benefits limitation contained in 38 U.S.C. 3695(a).
(m) Definitions. For the purposes of this section the following
definitions apply.
(1) STEM field means a field included in the Department of
Education's Classification of Instructional Programs taxonomy within
the two-digit series containing biological or biomedical science,
physical science, science technologies or technicians, computer and
information science and support services, mathematics or statistics,
engineering, engineering technologies or an engineering-related field,
a health profession or related program, an agriculture science or
natural resources science program, or other subjects and fields
identified by the Secretary as meeting national needs.
(i) The Secretary, or his or her designee, will maintain the STEM
Designated Degree Program List, which will be a complete list of
qualifying degree program categories, published on a website maintained
by VA for such purposes. Changes that are made to the STEM Designated
Degree Program List, including new subjects or fields identified by the
Secretary to meet national needs, will be published in a notice in the
Federal Register.
(ii) The Secretary, or his or her designee, may identify other
subjects or fields as meeting national needs. In general, other
subjects and fields identified as meeting national needs will involve
research, innovation, or development of new technologies using
engineering, mathematics, health care, computer science, or natural
sciences.
(iii) The Secretary, or his or her designee, shall notify Congress
90 days before approving any additional subjects or fields on the basis
of meeting national needs and shall submit any analysis of labor market
supply and demand used to identify such subjects or fields.
(2) Covered clinical training program for health care professionals
means clinical training required for a health care professional to be
licensed to practice in a state or locality. This includes medical
residencies and does not include clinical training that is part of an
undergraduate or graduate degree program.
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3311, 3313, 3320, 3321, 3471, 3695,
5101(a)(1)(A), 5104)
[FR Doc. 2026-00634 Filed 1-14-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on January 15, 2026.
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