H.R. 5702House118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Expanding Access for Online Veteran Students Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 11:47 AM UTC

The Expanding Access for Online Veteran Students Act amends the Post‑9/11 Educational Assistance Program to provide a monthly housing stipend to veterans who take short summer courses that are delivered entirely online. It creates a new eligibility category for distance‑learning programs under 12 weeks and sets a formula for calculating the stipend. The change applies to eligible veterans beginning with programs that start on or after August 1, 2024.

Key Provisions

Adds a new clause allowing a monthly housing stipend for veterans enrolled in summer distance‑learning programs shorter than 12 weeks.
Stipend amount is based on the national average basic allowance for housing for an E‑5 with dependents, multiplied by the proportion of course hours taken relative to full‑time requirements.
Specifies the calculation uses the lesser of 1.0 or the ratio of the veteran’s course hours to the minimum full‑time course hours, rounded to the nearest ten.
Effective date set for programs beginning on or after August 1, 2024.

Legislative Activity

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3 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Subcommittee Hearings Held

Economic Opportunity Subcommittee

November 2, 2023

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

September 26, 2023

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

September 26, 2023

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

Economic Opportunity Subcommittee

October 4, 2023

HouseCommittee

Subcommittee Hearings Held

Economic Opportunity Subcommittee

November 2, 2023

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 5702 on the floor

1 Republican

Rep. Juan CiscomaniR-AZ-6 · Dec 13, 2023

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the work being done on behalf of our veterans, the work that my office has been working on. Arizona's Sixth Congressional District is home to over 70,000…

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the work being done on behalf of our veterans, the work that my office has been working on.

Arizona's Sixth Congressional District is home to over 70,000 veterans. Our district has a historic legacy of service to our country from the servicemembers at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Fort Huachuca to incredible veterans like Walter Ram, a World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient.

In my role as their Congressman, I have made it my mission to secure as much assistance as possible for those who risk their lives for our freedom. That is why I made it a priority to help our veterans, servicemembers, and their families as they navigate Federal agencies. This year alone, my team has been able to return $345,000 to veterans.

The responsibility to provide for them is not one I take lightly, and I am committed to ensuring they receive the care and support that they deserve.

This is something that extends to my time here in Washington. As a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I have made a concerted effort to introduce commonsense bills to improve the lives of those who serve. My first bill ever introduced in Congress, H.R. 1378, the Veterans' Appeals Backlog Improvement Act, aims to address the lengthy waiting period our veterans face when trying to appeal a claim at the VA.

I also led an effort to ensure and expand access to our veterans in rural areas seeking disability claims with two pieces of legislation: H.R. 5470, the Veteran Medical Exams for Distant Areas Act, and H.R. 5938, the Veterans Exam Expansion Act. It is critical that we ensure our veterans receive the same care no matter their ZIP Code.

The same goes for the educational benefits they receive. That is why I spearheaded H.R. 5702, the Expanding Access for Online Veteran Students Act, legislation to ensure our student veterans taking classes virtually receive the same housing benefits as their counterparts taking classes in person. I learned about that need when I visited the veterans center over at the University of Arizona. This was highlighted, and we took immediate action.

We must ensure our veterans are equipped with the tools they need to successfully transition out of uniform and into civilian life. That includes a meaningful career, which is what led me to introducing H.R. 1669, the VET-TEC Authorization Act. The bill reauthorizes a popular VA program that covers the cost of veterans seeking job training in high- tech industries.

Each of these bills is a small effort to improve the lives of those who sacrifice so much.

On behalf of the people of Arizona's Sixth Congressional District, I extend my deepest gratitude to the incredible men and women who have served our country. While we will never be able to fully repay all of them who have served, we have a duty to fight for them as they fought for us.

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued September 26, 2023

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 5702

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 26, 2023

Mr. Ciscomani (for himself, Mr. Stanton, Mr. Van Orden, and Ms. Stansbury) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the monthly housing stipend under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program for individuals who pursue summer programs of education solely through distance learning.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Expanding Access for Online Veteran Students Act.

Monthly housing stipend under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program for individuals who pursue summer programs of education solely through distance learning

(a)

In general

Section 3313(c)(1)(B) of title 38, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

in clause (i), by striking and (iii) and inserting , (iii), and (iv);

(2)

by redesignating clause (iv) as clause (v); and

(3)

by inserting after clause (iii) the following new clause (iv):

(iv)

In the case of an individual pursuing, solely through distance learning, a program of education that is shorter than 12 weeks during the summer, for each month the individual pursues the program of education, a monthly housing stipend equal to the product of—

(I)

the national average of the monthly amount of the basic allowance for housing payable under section 403 of title 37 for a member with dependents in pay grade E–5, multiplied by

(II)

the lesser of—

(aa)

1.0 and

(bb)

the number of course hours borne by the individual in pursuit of the program of education, divided by the minimum number of course hours required for full-time pursuit of the program of education, rounded to the nearest multiple of 10.

(b)

Effective date

The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply to a program of education beginning on or after August 1, 2024.