(a) Reimbursement for supplies (including books, equipment, or other supplies) will be made as provided in this section.
(b) VA will provide reimbursement for those supplies that all students taking the same course or courses are customarily required to own personally. In addition, VA may provide reimbursement for items that the school does not specifically require for pursuit of the course, but that VA determines are needed because of the demands of the course, general possession by other students, and the disadvantage imposed on a veteran by not having the item. In no instance will VA provide reimbursement for supplies in a greater variety, quality, or amount than required of nonveteran students. In this instance, an item is not considered to be required if it is “requested” or “desirable to have” or “necessary for a future profession or job but not required by the institution of all students in the course”.
(c) When supplies are available in several prices, grades, or qualities, VA will provide reimbursement only for that quality or grade that will meet the requirements.
(d) Partial payment agreements, in which VA shares payment with the veterans, are not allowed.
(e) The institution’s costs in connection with a veteran’s thesis are considered supplies and are therefore authorized for reimbursement if the veteran’s committee chairman, major professor, department head, or appropriate dean certifies that the thesis is a course requirement and the expenses are required to complete the thesis. These expenses may include research expenses, typing, printing, microfilming, or otherwise reproducing the required number of copies.
(f) When the institution operates a bookstore or supply store for all students, reimbursement to the bookstore or supply store for supplies issued to trainees will be no greater than charges made to nonveteran students.
(g) When the institution, training establishment, or employer arranges for stores or other non-institutionally owned establishments to issue supplies to all students and a veteran is to pay the store or establishment for supplies issued to trainees, VA will provide reimbursement for those charges if they are no greater than those nonveterans pay or paid to the institutions, whichever is the lesser.
(h) Supplies that the institution purchases specifically for trainees will be reimbursed at the net cost to the institution.
(i) When the institution does not provide or arrange for issuance of generally required books, tools and supplies for students attending the facility, the institution, in cooperation with VA, may designate certain stores and establishments to provide generally required books, tools and supplies for veterans pursuing a vocational rehabilitation program. The vendor will be reimbursed in the same manner as for supplies provided or arranged for by the institutions.
(j) When it is customary in a survey class to permit each student to rent books for the subject (commonly referred to as a rental set), and the student is not required to own the books/materials, reimbursement is authorized for the rental charge as long as it does not exceed the charge made to nonveteran students.
(k) Educational and training institutions that furnish supplies to trainees that all students pursuing the same or similar course are required to own personally or obtain may be compensated for furnishing the supplies in an amount not exceeding 10 percent of the allowable charge for the supplies furnished or rented subject to the following conditions:
(1) When the tuition covers the charges for supplies or rentals or a stipulated fee is assessed to all students, handling charges are not allowable.
(2) The handling charge is not allowable for Government-owned books that the institution procures from the Library of Congress.
