Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, each eligible veteran and eligible person may make not more than one change of program of education, but an eligible veteran or eligible person whose program has been interrupted or discontinued due to the veteran’s or person’s own misconduct, the veteran’s or person’s own neglect, or the veteran’s or person’s own lack of application shall not be entitled to any such change.

The Secretary, in accordance with procedures that the Secretary may establish, may approve a change other than a change under subsection (a) of this section (or an initial change in the case of a veteran or person not eligible to make a change under subsection (a)) in program if the Secretary finds that—

(1) the program of education which the eligible veteran or eligible person proposes to pursue is suitable to the veteran’s or person’s aptitudes, interests, and abilities; and

(2) in any instance where the eligible veteran or eligible person has interrupted, or failed to progress in, the veteran’s or person’s program due to the veteran’s or person’s own misconduct, the veteran’s or person’s own neglect, or the veteran’s or person’s own lack of application, there exists a reasonable likelihood with respect to the program which the eligible veteran or eligible person proposes to pursue that there will not be a recurrence of such an interruption or failure to progress.

The Secretary may also approve additional changes in program if the Secretary finds such changes are necessitated by circumstances beyond the control of the eligible veteran or eligible person.

For the purposes of this section, the term “change of program of education” shall not be deemed to include a change by a veteran or eligible person from the pursuit of one program to the pursuit of another program if—

For the purposes of this section, the term “change of program of education” shall not be deemed to include a change by a veteran or eligible person from the pursuit of one program to the pursuit of another program if—

(A) the veteran or eligible person has successfully completed the former program;

(B) the program leads to a vocational, educational, or professional objective in the same general field as the former program;

(C) the former program is a prerequisite to, or generally required for, pursuit of the subsequent program;

(D) in the case of a change from the pursuit of a subsequent program to the pursuit of a former program, the veteran or eligible person resumes pursuit of the former program without loss of credit or standing in the former program; or

(E) the change from the program to another program is at the same educational institution and such educational institution determines that the new program is suitable to the aptitudes, interests, and abilities of the veteran or eligible person and certifies to the Secretary the enrollment of the veteran or eligible person in the new program.

(2) A veteran or eligible person undergoing a change from one program of education to another program of education as described in paragraph (1)(E) shall not be required to apply to the Secretary for approval of such change.

(Added Pub. L. 92–540, title III, § 316(2), Oct. 24, 1972, 86 Stat. 1089, § 1791; amended Pub. L. 94–502, title V, § 513(a)(20), Oct. 15, 1976, 90 Stat. 2403; Pub. L. 101–237, title IV, § 423(b)(1)(A), Dec. 18, 1989, 103 Stat. 2092; Pub. L. 101–366, title II, § 208(a), Aug. 15, 1990, 104 Stat. 443; renumbered § 3691, Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406; Pub. L. 102–568, title III, § 317, Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4334; Pub. L. 110–389, title III, § 324, Oct. 10, 2008, 122 Stat. 4168.)