Periods of eligibility

§ 1712. Periods of eligibility (a) The educational assistance to which an eligible person is entitled under section 1711 of this title or subchapter V of this chapter may be afforded him during the period beginning on his eighteenth birthday, or on the successful completion of his secondary schooling, whichever first occurs, and ending on his twenty-third birthday, except that— (1) if he is above the age of compulsory school attendance under applicable State law, and the Administrator determines that his best interests will be served thereby, such period may begin before his eighteenth birthday; (2) if he has a mental or physical handicap, and the Administrator determines that his best interests will be served by pursuing a program of special restorative training or a specialized course of vocational training approved under section 1737 of this title, such period may begin before his eighteenth birthday, but not before his fourteenth birthday; (3) if he had not reached his twenty-third birthday on June 29, 1956, and— (A) he had reached his eighteenth birthday on such date; or (B) he serves on duty with the Armed Forces as an eligible person before his twenty-third birthday and on or after such date; or (C) the death of the parent from whom eligibility was derived occurs after such date and after his eighteenth birthday but before his twenty-third birthday; then such period shall end five years after such date, his first discharge or release after such date from duty with the Armed Forces if such duty began before his twenty-third birthday, or the death of such parent, whichever occurs last, except that in 72 Stat. 1195no event shall such period be extended beyond his thirty-first birthday by reason of this paragraph; and (4) (A) if he is enrolled in an educational institution regularly operated on a quarter or semester system and such period ends during the last half of a quarter or semester, such period shall be extended to the end of the quarter or semester; or (B) if he is enrolled in an educational institution operated other than on a quarter or semester system and such periods ends during the last half of the course, such period shall be extended to the end of the course, or until nine weeks have expired, whichever first occurs. (b) No eligible person may be afforded educational assistance under this chapter unless he was discharged or released after each period he was on duty with the Armed Forces under conditions other than dishonorable, or while he is on duty with the Armed Forces.