Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition Fairness Act of 2025
Click any stage to learn more about the legislative process.
The Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition Fairness Act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to disapprove courses at public colleges that charge above in-state tuition rates to reservists using Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve education benefits, extending a protection already available to other GI Bill users.
The law closes a gap that previously left Selected Reserve beneficiaries without the same tuition-cost safeguards as active-duty veterans using comparable programs, potentially lowering out-of-pocket education costs for reservists attending public colleges outside their home states.
What this law does
What it does
The law amends 38 U.S.C. § 3679 to extend in-state tuition protections to individuals using education benefits under chapter 1606 of title 10 — the Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve program. It requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to disapprove courses of education offered by public institutions of higher learning that charge those beneficiaries more than the in-state tuition rate, regardless of the individual's state of legal residence, as long as they are physically attending school in that state. Disapproval means VA will not pay benefits toward such a course.
The law does not create new education benefits or change benefit amounts; it only conditions VA approval of courses on institutions meeting the in-state tuition requirement for this category of beneficiaries. It takes effect upon enactment but applies to academic periods beginning on or after August 1, 2026.
Key provisions
- 1Requires VA to disapprove courses at public colleges that charge Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve (chapter 1606) beneficiaries more than the in-state tuition rate, regardless of the individual's state of residence.
- 2Adds individuals entitled to assistance under section 16131 of title 10 (Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve) to the list of covered beneficiaries protected by the in-state tuition disapproval rule.
- 3Makes conforming amendments to the exceptions and restoration provisions in 38 U.S.C. § 3679(e) to include chapter 1606 of title 10 alongside existing covered chapters.
- 4Sets the effective date as the date of enactment, with application to academic periods beginning on or after August 1, 2026.
Who is affected
Members of the Selected Reserve — including National Guard and Reserve component service members — who use Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve (chapter 1606) education benefits to attend public colleges or universities. Public institutions of higher learning that enroll these students are also directly affected, as they must charge in-state tuition rates or risk VA disapproval of their courses.
Why it matters
Reservists who attend public colleges outside their state of legal residence have historically been charged higher out-of-state tuition even while using federal education benefits. This law removes that cost barrier by conditioning VA course approval on schools charging in-state rates, giving Selected Reserve beneficiaries the same tuition protection that active-duty and post-9/11 GI Bill users already receive.
What changed
Changes to existing law
Amends 38 U.S.C. § 3679 (Sec. 2)
Extends the in-state tuition disapproval requirement to cover beneficiaries using Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve benefits under chapter 1606 of title 10, alongside existing covered benefit chapters.
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Amendments take effect; apply to academic periods beginning on or after this date
How it works
The Department of Veterans Affairs enforces the requirement through its existing course-approval process under 38 U.S.C. § 3679. State approving agencies and VA must decline to approve — or rescind approval for — courses at public institutions that charge Selected Reserve beneficiaries above in-state tuition rates. Institutions that wish to maintain VA course approval must adjust their tuition policies for chapter 1606 users by the start of the first academic period beginning on or after August 1, 2026. No new rulemaking authority is expressly granted; the change operates directly through the existing disapproval mechanism.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Became Public Law No: 119-55.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This act requires that the Department of Veterans Affairs disapprove courses of education provided by educational institutions that charge higher than in-state tuition for individuals utilizing the Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve education benefits while living in the state where the education is located, regardless of the individual’s state of residence.
Legislative subjects
Armed Forces and National Security; Higher education; Student aid and college costs; Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation