(1) When determining the effective date of an award under chapter
35 of this title for an individual described in paragraph (2) based on an original claim, the Secretary may consider the individuals application as having been filed on the eligibility date of the individual if that eligibility date is more than one year before the date of the initial rating decision.
(2) An individual referred to in paragraph (1) is an eligible person who
(A) submits to the Secretary an original application for educational assistance under chapter
35 of this title within one year of the date that the Secretary makes the rating decision;
(B) claims such educational assistance for pursuit of an approved program of education during a period preceding the one-year period ending on the date on which the application was received by the Secretary; and
(C) would have been entitled to such educational assistance for such course pursuit if the individual had submitted such an application on the individuals eligibility date.
(3) In this subsection:
(A) The term eligibility date means the date on which an individual becomes an eligible person.
(B) The term eligible person has the meaning given that term under subparagraphs (A), (B), (D), and (E) of section
3501 (a)(1) of this title.
(C) The term initial rating decision means with respect to an eligible person a decision made by the Secretary that establishes
(i) service connection for the death of the person from whom such eligibility is derived or
(ii) the existence of the service-connected total disability permanent in nature (or, in the case of a person made eligible under section
3501 (a)(1)(E), the total disability permanent in nature incurred or aggravated in the line of duty in the active military, naval, or air service) of the person from whom such eligibility is derived, as the case may be.
