VA VANEEP/ESIP

I'm currently employed at the VA as a psychiatric nursing assistant working the overnight shift at a residential treatment program; however, I have been going to school completing my pre-nursing courses. I plan on continuing into a BSN program next year, and was told that VANEEP, which pays your salary while you work, had lost the local campus as a partner so if I wanted to use it I would have to relocate several hours away (I have a new house, and my wife has a job here so that would not be doable.)

I was told that ESIP, however, does not require a partnership school as long as the institution is accredited. One thing I cannot find looking over the handbooks is if ESIP also provides salary replacement where school becomes your duty station, or if I would be expected to work my normal 40 hour shift while completing a full time baccalaureate program.

How are applications selected? Is there an announcement period like when a job posting opens up? Nobody I've talked to in my section has used the program or has any knowledge of how it works.

The educational services manager at my facility is on AL for a couple weeks, so I was wondering if anybody on the internet is a little more familiar with the ESIP program and could explain it to me in layman's terms.

Thanks!