EDUCATIONVA program
Tutorial Assistance Program
Reimbursement of up to $100/month (maximum $1,200 total) for private tutoring for students using VA education benefits at half-time or more, when their instructor determines they need a tutor to complete a course their program requires.
Available to veterans enrolled using VA education benefits
Step-by-step guide
What the school and VA look for
- Enrolled at half time or moreA post-secondary program at an institution of higher learning with a rate of pursuit of at least 50 percent.
- A deficiency in a course the program requiresThe instructor certifies that tutoring is essential to correct a deficiency in a specific course, and that the course is required for, or a prerequisite to, the approved program.
- A tutor the school accepts who is not close familyThe school confirms the tutor meets its standard and confirms the hourly pay. A parent, spouse, child, brother, or sister cannot be the tutor, and the charge cannot exceed the customary rate.
Source: 38 CFR 21.9685 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: tutorial assistance (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.4236 (opens in new tab)
Which program are you using?
- Post-9/11 GI Bill or Fry Scholarship
VA can help pay for a tutor, up to the caps below, when the course instructor certifies the need, the school approves the tutor and the charge, and the student is at a rate of pursuit of at least 50 percent. Months are not charged.
Source: 38 CFR 21.9685 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: tutorial assistance (opens in new tab)
- Montgomery GI Bill, DEA, VEAP, or Selected Reserve
The same help under 38 CFR 21.4236: half time or more, a certified deficiency, and a tutor the school accepts. The Montgomery GI Bill, Selected Reserve benefits, and VEAP charge months once reimbursement passes a set amount (the figure is below); DEA does not charge.
- A post-secondary program at half time or more, a certified deficiency, and a tutor the school acceptsThe school certifies that individual tutoring is essential for a subject that is part of, or indispensable to, the approved program; the tutor meets the school standard and is not close family; and the charge is customary.
Source: 38 CFR 21.4236 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.7076 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.5072 (opens in new tab); VA Form 22-1990t (opens in new tab); VA.gov: tutorial assistance (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.7141 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.5141 (opens in new tab)
What to gather, and what it shows VA
| Document | What it shows | How VA gets it | Have it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| The instructor's letter A letter from the course instructor saying you need a tutor to complete the course. It goes to the school certifying official, who adds it to your VA student file. | That the need for tutoring is real and tied to a required course | Ask the instructor to write it and send it to the certifying official; the school keeps it for VA. | |
| VA Form 22-1990t The Application for Individualized Tutorial Assistance. You, the tutor, and the certifying official all sign it; under the Post-9/11 GI Bill the instructor also signs section 18. | The sessions, the hours, the tutor pay, and the certifications VA needs | Download it from VA.gov; any of the three of you can fill it in, and it goes to VA signed by all. | |
| The school's approval and tutor assignment The school approves the need, assigns the tutor, and confirms the hourly pay. Its certification on the form is what VA relies on. | That the tutor meets the school standard, is not close family, and is paid at a customary rate | The certifying official completes it; you do not file it alone. |
The instructor letter and the signed form go to the school and VA. BeneVets does not ask for copies of anything.
Steps, in order
- Get free help from a VSO
Free help: an accredited VSO can file this with you. Find one near you in the BeneVets VSO directory at Find an accredited VSO near you.
Source: VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab)
- Ask the instructor for a letter
The instructor writes that you need a tutor for the course and sends the letter to the school certifying official.
- Let the school assign the tutor
If the school approves, it assigns a tutor and confirms the hourly pay. The tutor cannot be a close relative.
Source: VA.gov: tutorial assistance (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.4236 (opens in new tab)
- File VA Form 22-1990t
You, the tutor, and the certifying official sign the form (and the instructor, under the Post-9/11 GI Bill). Send it monthly or when tutoring ends, dated on or after the last session. VA does not pay for sessions held more than one year before it receives the form.
Source: VA Form 22-1990t (opens in new tab); VA.gov: tutorial assistance (opens in new tab)
Good to know
VA pays up to the monthly cap, and not more than the tutoring cost, up to a lifetime total. The figures are below.
Source: 38 CFR 21.4236 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: tutorial assistance (opens in new tab)
Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Fry Scholarship, and DEA, tutoring does not use up months. Under the Montgomery GI Bill, Selected Reserve benefits, and VEAP, VA reimburses up to a set amount without charging months and charges after that. The figure is below.
Source: VA.gov: tutorial assistance (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9685 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.3045 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.7076 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.5072 (opens in new tab); VA Form 22-1990t (opens in new tab)
The form can go in each month or after the tutoring is done. VA does not pay for any session held more than one year before VA receives the form. It must be signed and dated on or after the last session you want paid back.
Source: VA.gov: tutorial assistance (opens in new tab); VA Form 22-1990t (opens in new tab)
BeneVets is informational and is not an accredited representative. Free help: an accredited VSO can work through VA benefits with you at no cost. Find an accredited VSO near you
Sources checked October 14, 2026: 38 CFR 21.148 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 21.3045 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 21.4236 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 21.5072 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 21.5141 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 21.7076 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 21.7141 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 21.9685 (opens in new tab), VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab), VA.gov: check remaining education benefits (opens in new tab), VA.gov: tutorial assistance (opens in new tab), VA Form 22-1990t (opens in new tab)