Veteran Readiness & Employment (Chapter 31)


Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E or Chapter 31) is a program administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that helps Servicemembers and veterans with service-connected disabilities and a barrier to employment prepare for, find, and maintain suitable jobs through counseling and case management. Services are individualized and based on the Servicemember or veteran's needs.
 
  1. What VR&E provides:
    1. Post-secondary training at a college, vocational, technical or business school.
      1. This typically includes tuition coverage, monthly subsistence stipends, and a book stipend.
      2. While using VR&E, you may be eligible for in-state tuition rates at public schools, even if you are not a state resident. To qualify, you must live in the state when classes start and meet criteria as a qualifying individual. Visit the VA’s Veterans Choice Act webpage for more information.
    2. Interest and aptitude testing, and career counseling.
    3. Job-training, job-seeking skills, resume development, and work-readiness assistance.
    4. Independent living services for individuals who are not currently able to work because of the effects of service-connected disabilities and who require intensive and frequent rehabilitation support to become more independent in their homes and communities.
 
  1. How to qualify:
    1. Honorable or other than dishonorable discharge.
    2. Service-connected disability rating from the VA of at least 10%, or a memo rating of at least 20%.
      1. Serious employment handicap needed to establish entitlement for Veterans rated 10%.
    3. Servicemembers with disabilities participating in the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) may receive automatic VA enrollment. Learn more about accessing VR&E through IDES.
 
  1. Period of eligibility:
    1. If you were discharged from active duty before January 1, 2013, your basic period of eligibility ends 12 years from one of these dates, whichever comes later:
      1. The date you received notice of your date of separation from active duty, or
      2. The date you received your first VA service-connected disability rating.
    2. If you were discharged from active duty on or after January 1, 2013, the 12-year basic period of eligibility doesn’t apply to you. There’s no time limit on your eligibility.
 
  1. Entitlement under VR&E:
    1. The VA will determine how much entitlement you’re authorized under this program based on your needs and prior VA benefit usage.
    2. If you use VR&E benefits, they won’t deduct entitlement from your other VA education benefits, like the Post-9/11 GI Bill or the Montgomery GI Bill. Because of this, it could make sense to use your VR&E benefits prior to using other options – especially if you want to transfer your Post 9/11 GI Bill®.
    3. If you already used other education benefits and are awarded eligibility for VR&E from the VA, you may be eligible for what’s called “retroactive induction.” This occurs when the VA retroactively approves your previous months of entitlement and returns them to either the Post 9/11 GI Bill or a Montgomery GI Bill.
 
  1. VR&E and the Post 9/11 GI Bill®:
    1. If you are pursuing education while participating in VR&E, you can choose to get paid the Post 9/11 GI Bill 100% rate, even if you have less than 36 months of qualifying service. Both of these must be true:
      1. You have at least 1 day of entitlement remaining under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and
      2. You’re within your GI Bill eligibility period (your benefit hasn’t expired).
    2. In most cases, the GI Bill rate is higher. You can compare rates using the GI Bill Comparison Tool.
  2. How to apply:
    1. Gather the following information:
      1. social security number
      2. bank account direct deposit information
      3. education and military history
      4. name of school you want to attend or are attending
    2. If you have not applied for the Post 9/11 GI Bill in the past, apply for that benefit first using the online application.
      1. You need to have Post 9/11 GI Bill eligibility in order to receive the GI Bill rate while using VR&E. Wait until you’ve received confirmation of Post 9/11 GI Bill eligibility before taking the next step.
    3. Apply for VR&E online.
    4. The VA will schedule a meeting for you with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) to discuss your goals, how VR&E works, and determine eligibility.
    5. The VA should provide you a certificate of eligibility or proof of Chapter 31 eligibility.
      1. Provide this to the School Certifying Official (SCO) at your school, so they can certify your enrollment to the VA.
    6. After the VA makes an entitlement decision, you and your counselor will work together to develop a rehabilitation plan. This plan outlines the rehabilitation and other services that VR&E will provide.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at the official U.S. government website.