STEM Scholarship Delay: New Veteran Benefit Rule Requires Exhausting All Other Aid First

The “Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship Opportunity Act of 2025” is making some significant, if subtle, changes to how veterans can access educational funding for science, technology, engineering, and math degrees. If you’re a veteran planning to use your GI Bill benefits for a technical degree, this bill introduces a new rule that could dramatically change your timeline for accessing this specific scholarship.

The New Waiting Game: Exhaust All Other Benefits First

The most important change here is a new restriction added to the scholarship program (Section 2, new paragraph (5)). Currently, the Rogers STEM Scholarship allows eligible veterans to receive up to nine months of additional educational assistance if they are pursuing a STEM degree that requires more than the standard 36 months of GI Bill entitlement. This bill mandates that a veteran must exhaust all other educational assistance they are entitled to under the chapter before they can even begin using the STEM scholarship benefit. Think of it like this: If you have 36 months of standard Post-9/11 GI Bill left, you must use all 36 months first. Only after that clock hits zero can you start tapping into the extra nine months of the Rogers STEM Scholarship.

For a busy veteran juggling school, work, and family, this change means the extra financial cushion intended for the demanding final semesters of a STEM degree is now strictly reserved for the very end. If you were hoping to use the STEM scholarship to cover a summer term or a critical, high-cost specialized course earlier in your program, that option is now off the table. It effectively turns the scholarship from a flexible supplement into a last-resort extension.

Prioritizing the Finish Line

The legislation also tweaks who gets priority for the scholarship, focusing on those already deep into their education (Section 2, subsection (c)(1)). Priority will now be given to two groups: first, those who have already used the maximum number of months of educational assistance they’re entitled to, and second, those who are currently using their entitlement and have officially declared a major in a qualifying STEM field. This move aims to target the funds toward veterans who are already committed to the STEM path and are running out of time or resources.

The Hidden Math Changes

Finally, the bill adjusts some numerical values used in the scholarship calculation (Section 2, newly designated paragraph (3)(A)(ii)). Specifically, the numbers 60 and 90 are replaced with 45 and 67.5, respectively. While the bill text doesn't explicitly define what these numbers represent in the formula—they relate to required credit hours or time spent—reducing them suggests a tightening of the eligibility thresholds or a change in how the benefit amount is calculated. For the average recipient, this could mean a slight administrative shift that potentially reduces the amount of benefit received or changes the timing of when they become eligible for certain payments. It’s a detail worth watching closely, as even small changes to benefit formulas can impact a student's budget.