(a) Repayment amount. (1) VA may pay not more than $30,000 in educational loan repayment for each year of obligated service.

(2) An educational loan repayment may not exceed the actual amount of principal and interest on an educational loan or loans.

(b) Payment. VA will pay the participant, or the lending institution on behalf of the participant, directly for the principal and interest on the participant's educational loans. Payments will be made monthly or annually for each applicable service period, depending on the terms of the acceptance of conditions. Participants must provide VA documentation that shows the amounts that were credited or posted by the lending institution to a participant's educational loan during an obligated service period. VA will issue payments after the participant commences the period of obligated service. Payments are exempt from Federal taxation.