TITLE 38 - PENSIONS, BONUSES, AND VETERANS' RELIEF

CHAPTER I - DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

PART 21 - VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION

subpart d - ADMINISTRATION OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

21.4009 - Overpayments; waiver or recovery.

  (a) General. (1) The amount of the overpayment of educational assistance allowance or special training allowance paid to a veteran or eligible person constitutes a liability of that veteran or eligible person.

  (2) The amount of the overpayment of educational assistance allowance or special training allowance paid to a veteran or eligible person constitutes a liability of the education institution if the Department of Veterans Affairs determines that the overpayment was made as the result of willful or negligent: (i) Failure of the educational institution to report, as required by 21.4203 and 21.4204, discontinuance or interruption of a course by a veteran, reservist or eligible person, or (ii) False certification by the educational institution.

  (3) If it appears that the falsity or misrepresentation was deliberate, the Department of Veterans Affairs may not pursue administrative collection pending a determination whether the matter should be referred to the Department of Justice for possible civil or criminal action.

However, the Department of Veterans Affairs may recover the amount of the overpayment from the educational institution by administrative collection procedure when the Department of Veterans Affairs determines the false certification or misrepresentation resulted from an administrative error or a misstatement of fact and that no criminal or civil action is warranted.

  (4) If the Department of Veterans Affairs recovers any part of the overpayment from the educational institution, it may reimburse the educational institution, if the Department of Veterans Affairs subsequently collects the overpayment from a veteran or eligible person.

The reimbursement (i) Will be made when the total amount collected from the educational institution and from the veterans and eligible persons (less any amount applied toward marshal fees, court costs, administrative cost of collection and interest) exceeds the total amount for which the educational institution is liable, and (ii) Will be equal to the excess.

  (5) This paragraph does not preclude the imposition of any civil or criminal liability under this or any other law.

  (b) Reporting. (1) If a school is required to make periodic or other certifications, the Department of Veterans Affairs may consider the following in determining whether a school is potentially liable for an overpayment: (i) The school's failure to report, or to report timely facts which resulted in an overpayment, or (ii) The school's submission of an incorrect certification as to fact.

  (2) In either instance the Department of Veterans Affairs will consider other pertinent factors such as: (i) Allowing for occasional clerical error or occasional administrative error: (ii) The school's past reliability in reporting; (iii) The adequacy of the school's reporting system; and (iv) The extent of noncompliance with reporting requirements.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3685) (c) Committee on school liability. Each field station having jurisdiction over schools with courses approved for training under Chapter 1606, Title 10 U.S.C., Chapters 30, 32, 34, 35 and/or 36, Title 38 U.S.C. shall establish a Committee on School Liability. The committee or a panel designated by the committee chairperson and drawn from the committee, is authorized to find whether a school is liable for an overpayment. (Authority: 10 U.S.C. 16136(b), 38 U.S.C. 3034(a), 3241, 3685) (d) Initial determination. The Adjudication Officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs facility of jurisdiction will determine whether there is evidence that would warrant a finding that the school is potentially liable for an overpayment. When the decision is in the affirmative, the Finance Officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs facility of jurisdiction will notify the school in writing of the Department of Veterans Affairs's intent to apply the liability provisions of paragraph (a) of this section. The notice will identify the students overpaid and will set out in each student's case the actions or omissions by the school which resulted in the finding that the school was potentially liable for the overpayment. The notice will also state that a determination of liability will be made on the basis of the evidence of record, unless additional evidence or a request for a hearing is received within 30 days of the date of receipt of such notice by the school.

  (e) Hearings. A school is entitled to a hearing before a panel drawn from the Committee on School Liability before a decision is made as to whether it is liable for an overpayment. Every hearing will be preceded by a prehearing conference unless the conference is waived by the school. The Committee on School Liability will consider all evidence and testimony presented at the hearing.

  (f) Extent of liability. Waiver of collection of an overpayment as to a veteran or eligible person will not relieve the school of liability for the overpayment. Recovery in whole or in part from the veteran or eligible person will limit such liability accordingly. If an overpayment has been recovered from the school and the veteran or eligible person subsequently repays the amount in whole or in part, the amount repaid will be reimbursed to the school.

  (g) Notice to school. The school shall be notified in writing of the decision of the Committee on School Liability. If the school is found liable for an overpayment, the school also will be notified of the right to appeal the decision to the Central Office School Liability Appeals Board within 60 days from the date of the letter to the school containing notice of the decision. The 60-day time limit may be extended to 90 days at the discretion of the chairperson of the Committee on School Liability. The appeal must be in writing setting forth fully the alleged errors of fact and law. If an appeal is not received within the 60-day time limit, the Committee decision is final.

  (h) Appeals. An appeal will be forwarded to Central Office where it will be considered by the School Liability Appeals Board. The Board's decision will serve as authority for instituting collection proceedings, if appropriate, or for discontinuing collection proceedings instituted on the basis of the original decision of the Committee on School Liability in any case where the Board reverses a decision made by the Committee that the school is liable.

  (i) Review. Review by the School Liability Appeals Board is limited to the issues raised by the school and shall be on the record and not de novo in character. The Board may affirm, modify or reverse a decision of the Committee on School Liability or may remand an appeal for further consideration by the appropriate Committee on School Liability. If new and material evidence is discovered while the School Liability Appeals Board is considering a case, the Board may remand the case to the appropriate Committee on School Liability.

  (j) Finality of decisions. The School Liability Appeals Board has authority to act for the Secretary in deciding appeals concerning a school's liability for an overpayment. There is no right of additional administrative appeal of a decision of the School Liability Appeals Board.

[32 FR 4533, Mar. 25, 1967, as amended at 44 FR 15492, Mar. 14, 1979; 48 FR 37976, Aug. 22, 1983; 49 FR 35630, Sept. 11, 1984; 51 FR 16316, May 2, 1986; 61 FR 20728, May 8, 1996; 61 FR 26112, May 24, 1996; 62 FR 55760, Oct. 28, 1997]