VA Tutorial Assistance

The VA Tutorial Assistance allowance is a supplement to your monthly educational benefits check, and is paid to reimburse you for the reasonable charges by a tutor not to exceed $100 per month, with a maximum of $1,200. Under Chapter 35 there is no charge to your VA entitlement. Under Chapters 30, 32, and 1606 there is no charge to your entitlement until $600 in tutorial benefits has been paid.

To receive VA tutorial assistance, you must meet the following requirements:

  • You must be certified at a minimum of half-time.
  • The course must be taken to meet the degree requirements of the one current degree objective you have reported to the VA.

Procedure

DO NOT COMMENCE TUTORING UNTIL STUDENT SPECIAL SERVICES HAS AUTHORIZED YOU TO BEGIN.

Obtain certification of your need for tutoring from your instructor. Student Special Services will give you a form to be signed by him or her.

Find a qualified tutor. A good place to start is with the academic department in which the course is offered; you might also try the Learning Center. If you are unable to locate a qualified tutor, contact Student Special Services and we will assist you. Note the following requirements:

  • the tutor must be qualified to conduct individualized tutorial assistance for the course in question. The tutor must have completed the course with a minimum GPA of 3.3 (B+) and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Any exceptions to this standard must be approved in advance by the Director of Student Special Services.
  • the tutor may not be your close relative (spouse, parent, child, brother, or sister).
  • the charges may not exceed the customary charge for such tutorial assistance, which ranges from $15-$25/hour, depending on the subject matter and course level. If you have any questions regarding customary charges, please contact Student Special Services.

Make arrangements with the tutor regarding payment. Most students pay the tutor at the time the tutoring is given, and are later reimbursed by the VA. If your tutor is willing to wait for payment, make sure you know where you can reach him/her after the VA sends you your tutorial check.

Once you have turned in your instructor’s certification and your tutor has been approved, Student Special Services will give you a VA Form 22-1990t, Application and Enrollment Certification for Individualized Tutorial Assistance. YOU MAY NOW COMMENCE TUTORING.

On a monthly basis, record the information required on the VA Form 22-1990t. Be sure that you and your tutor both sign the form. Bring the completed form to the Student Special Services; we must sign the form and we will mail it to the VA on your behalf. As with most VA payments, allow 4-8 weeks for your check to be processed.

If you have any questions regarding these procedures, please don’t hesitate to contact us in person, by phone (951-827-3861), or by e-mail (specserv@pop.ucr.edu).