Restored Entitlement
Program for Survivors
Surviving Children Beneficiary Information
General: Restored Entitlement Program for Survivors (REPS) benefits are payable to unmarried children between ages 18 and 22 who are full-time students at approved post-secondary educational institutions. Benefits are awarded on the basis of an education institution's academic year. The academic year at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) begins with the first day of class in the Fall semester. A Student Beneficiary Report - REPS (VA Form 21-8938) is required each year before eligibility is extended for the following academic year. Students seeking an enrollment certification should submit their Student Beneficiary Report with Section I, Student Identification, if blank, incomplete or incorrect, and Section II, Student Certification, completed to ETSU Veterans Affairs. Do not enter any information in Section III, School Official Certification, or a new form will be required. The certification will be mailed and a copy of the form kept with the student's record, if any, in Veterans Affairs.
Breaks in School Attendance: Full-time attendance can be deemed to continue over breaks in attendance that do not exceed four calendar months. Therefore, REPS is generally payable during summer vacations between academic years. If a student does not enroll or attends on a part-time basis for more than four months, there is a break in REPS benefits eligibility.
Effective Date of Payments: Benefits may be paid from the month in which a student first satisfies all REPS eligibility requirements whenever the claim is received by the USDVA. If a student is not enrolled full-time for more than four months, the REPS claim must be reopened when the student returns to a full-time enrollment.
Factors Affecting Surviving Children's Entitlement
Marriage: REPS benefit entitlement ends effective the first of the month of marriage.
Less Than Full-time Student: If a student's enrollment in an educational institution falls below full-time, REPS enrollment ends effective the last day of the month during which the reduction or termination occurred. Reductions to part-time enrollment must be reported to the REPS program office. The student should indicate whether they intend to return to full-time status and when they expect such to occur.
Earned Income from Wages or Self Employment: REPS benefits are reduced by one dollar for each two dollars of earned income over the exempt amount for Social Security. The exempt amount of wages is announced at the beginning of each calendar year. The current annual exempt amount can be obtained by contacting the Social Security Administration's office.
Re-entitlement to Any Social Security Benefit: If a surviving child establishes entitlement to Social Security benefits on their own or any other account, the student must notify the USDVA immediately since it will cause a dollar for dollar reduction in the REPS benefits entitlement. If another family member re-establishes entitlement to Social Security, REPS benefit entitlement may change.
Source: United States Department of Veterans Affairs Restored Entitlement Program for Survivors Fact Sheet (VA Form 21-0536) dated January 1995