Veteran Benefits
Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31)
Veteran Readiness and Employment - once called Vocational Rehabilitation, or "Voc Rehab" - helps veterans whose service-connected disabilities get in the way of work. It can pay for schooling, training, or the tools to start a business, and for the most severely disabled it offers an Independent Living track focused on living more fully at home. It often covers more of your education costs than the GI Bill.
There’s a free calculator on this page - estimate your monthly VR&E subsistence allowance. No sign-up, no cost.
Who this is for
Veteran Readiness and Employment - the old "Voc Rehab" - can pay your full tuition plus a monthly living allowance to retrain for work your disability no longer allows. There is no age limit, and for anyone discharged since 2013, no time limit either. It is one of the VA's most generous and most overlooked benefits.
In plain language
What Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31) covers
- The five VR&E tracks, from quick job placement to a full degree
- Who qualifies - rating, employment handicap, and time limits
- What VR&E pays: tuition, fees, tools, and a monthly subsistence allowance
- The Independent Living track for veterans who cannot yet work
Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E / Chapter 31)Official video - U.S. Dept of Veterans Affairs
5 things most veterans aren't aware of
These apply to nearly every VA claim - and they change how much you get and when.
Your filing date sets your back pay
Benefits are generally paid back to the day you file - not the day you are approved. Filing an intent to file today can protect months, even years, of retroactive pay.
One condition can trigger others (secondary claims)
A service-connected condition that causes another - like sleep apnea from PTSD, or a bad knee from a bad hip - can be rated on its own. Each secondary condition adds to your rating.
A medical nexus is what wins the claim
The VA needs a documented link between your condition and your service. A clear nexus opinion is often the difference between an approval and a denial.
Accredited help is free to file an initial claim
By law, an accredited agent cannot charge a fee to prepare and file your original claim. If someone asks for money up front to file, that is a red flag.
A denial is not the end of the road
You have three appeal lanes - Higher-Level Review, a Supplemental Claim with new evidence, and the Board of Veterans Appeals. Many denials are overturned on review.
5 tracks
Return-to-work paths, from rapid employment to independent living
$861-$1,258/mo
Full-time subsistence allowance, FY2026, by dependents (confirm on va.gov)
No time limit
To use it if you were discharged on or after Jan 1, 2013
The full picture
Everything you need to know
Nothing hidden behind a click, and nothing you have to go looking for on another website. Here is the whole story in plain language - the facts and the figures first - so you can decide what fits your situation.
Key facts & current figures
- Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E), also called Chapter 31, pays for training, education, counseling, and job placement for veterans whose service-connected disability makes it hard to get or keep suitable work.
- Unlike the GI Bill, VR&E can cover the full cost of tuition, fees, books, supplies, and required tools - plus a monthly subsistence allowance while you train.
- You generally qualify with a service-connected rating of 10% or more and a discharge that is not dishonorable; if you were discharged on or after Jan 1, 2013, there is no time limit to apply.
- FY2026 full-time subsistence is about $861.10/mo with no dependents, $1,067.81 with one, and $1,258.13 with two (confirm current rates on va.gov).
- If you still have Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility, you can elect the higher BAH-equivalent housing rate (VA Form 28-0987) without using up any GI Bill entitlement.
General figures, current as of December 2025 and reviewed each year. Your exact amount depends on your situation - always confirm on va.gov.
The five tracks - VR&E is not just college
- Reemployment helps you return to a job you held before you deployed or were injured. Rapid Access to Employment is for veterans who are ready to work now and need help finding the right job.
- Employment Through Long-Term Services covers education or vocational training - from a certificate to a four-year degree - when a new field is the realistic path. Self-Employment helps you launch a small business, including a plan, training, and some startup resources.
- Independent Living is for veterans whose disabilities are too severe to return to work right now; it funds services and equipment that help you live more independently at home.
Who qualifies
- You generally need a service-connected disability rated 10% or more and a discharge that is other than dishonorable. In some cases a 0% or 10% rating still qualifies if the VA agrees your disability causes a serious employment handicap.
- The VA must find that your service-connected condition contributes to an "employment handicap" - it makes it hard to get, keep, or advance in suitable work.
- If your separation date is on or after Jan 1, 2013, there is no deadline to apply. Veterans discharged earlier generally had a 12-year window, but exceptions exist - ask a counselor even if you think you are past the limit.
What VR&E pays for
- VR&E can cover the full cost of tuition and fees, books, supplies, and any tools or equipment your program requires - often more complete than GI Bill coverage.
- While you train full time in FY2026, the standard monthly subsistence allowance is about $861.10 (no dependents), $1,067.81 (one dependent), or $1,258.13 (two dependents), with more for additional dependents (confirm current rates on va.gov).
- If you still have Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility, you may elect the BAH-equivalent housing rate (usually higher) using VA Form 28-0987 - and doing so does not use up any of your GI Bill months.
How VR&E and the GI Bill fit together
- Using VR&E and other VA education programs together is capped at a combined 48 months of entitlement, so plan the order carefully with your counselor.
- Many veterans use VR&E first (fuller cost coverage) and save the GI Bill, or elect the GI Bill housing rate inside VR&E for a bigger monthly check.
- Your Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor can run the numbers for your situation - which program pays more, and how to protect your remaining benefits.
See your monthly check
VR&E subsistence allowance estimator
Chapter 31 doesn't just pay for your schooling or training - it pays YOU a tax-free monthly subsistence allowance while you're in it. Tell us the kind of training, your course load, and how many dependents you support, and we'll estimate your monthly amount from the VA's current rate table.
What kind of training?
How full is your course load?
How many dependents?
Qualifying dependents
A spouse, and children you support - each one raises your monthly allowance.
Estimated monthly subsistence allowance
$812.84
tax-free, paid to you every month you train
- Training
- School or college
- Course load
- Full time
- Dependents
- 0
- About / year
- $9,754
Estimate only, using the VA’s FY2026 table (effective October 1, 2025). The VA adjusts these rates every October. The highest possible monthly rate this year is $3,439.23.
Also have the Post-9/11 GI Bill? You can choose to draw the GI Bill housing allowance (BAH) instead of this rate if that pays more - we’ll help you compare.
This calculator is free. No sign-up, no catch.
Most people in this business hide tools like this behind a paywall or a sign-up form. We don’t. Use it as much as you need. And if you want a real accredited agent to look at your actual claim, we’re one call away — it’s free to talk, and free to file your claim.
Albert L. Thombs Jr. — VA-accredited claims agent (#45147), a disabled veteran with a team of advocates who do this every day.
Your complete benefit picture
Up to 48 months
of tuition, tools, certification, and a monthly living stipend to retrain for work your service-connected conditions no longer let you do - and it never touches your GI Bill. You need only a 10% rating and an employment handicap to qualify. Confirm current rates on va.gov.
Two ways to move forward — both free
Not sure if this applies to you?
Ask our free assistant a few plain questions and get an honest read on what you and your family may qualify for, at no cost. It takes just a few minutes, and there is no sign-up and no obligation of any kind. You will get a clear, plain-language picture of where you stand and what might be worth filing. And if you would rather talk to a real person, an accredited agent is only a message away.
Have a question? Get free information
Ask a question, learn what you may be owed, or find out where you stand. Confidential, free, and no obligation to go any further.
Ready to hire us? Register
Decided you want us to work your claim? Registering is free — we match you with an accredited advocate and get you started. We cannot begin until you sign VA Form 21-22a, and fees, if any, are always disclosed up front.
Underused benefit
VR&E can pay more than the GI Bill - and you can use both
Veteran Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31) pays your full training cost plus a monthly subsistence allowance, and it does not burn a single month of your GI Bill.
A counselor builds a plan around your disabilities: retraining, a degree, help starting a business, or independent-living services if work is not realistic yet.
Who qualifies
A 10% or higher service-connected rating, a discharge that is not dishonorable, and an employment handicap tied to your service-connected condition.
Elect the higher housing rate
File VA Form 28-0987 to receive the Post-9/11 BAH-equivalent housing allowance instead of the standard subsistence rate when it pays more.
A clear path forward
Your step-by-step action plan
No rush and no pressure - but a little order helps. Applying is always free.
FIG. 01 - Gather your paperwork
First
Apply online
Submit VA Form 28-1900 on va.gov - you can apply as soon as you have a 10% or higher rating.
FIG. 02 - Fill out the form
Next
Meet your counselor
A Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor evaluates your employment handicap and helps you pick one of the five tracks.
FIG. 03 - File the claim
Together
Build your plan
Map out the training, degree, or self-employment path and the services VA will fund to get you there.
FIG. 04 - After you file
Every term
Verify and get paid
Stay enrolled per your plan and your subsistence allowance continues - up to a 48-month combined entitlement cap.
Who to call & where to go
These are free, official VA lines. Have your Social Security number handy when you call.
Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E)
Chapter 31 retraining, counseling, and job support.
VA Benefits Hotline
Compensation, pension, and general claim questions.
Rather have us handle it?
No phone tag, no hold music. Call our office and a real, VA-accredited person walks you through it - start to finish.
702-992-4883Not sure where to start?
Apply online at va.gov by signing in and completing VA Form 28-1900 (Application for Veteran Readiness and Employment), or ask any VA office or your VSO to help you file. If you are found eligible, you meet with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) who helps you build a plan and choose one of the five tracks. Bring your DD-214 and your VA rating decision. If you also have Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility, ask about electing the BAH-equivalent housing rate on VA Form 28-0987.
More benefits for veterans
These often go hand in hand - tap any card to learn more.
Free information — get a free benefit review
Tell us how to reach you and an accredited team member will help you understand this benefit and claim everything you have earned. No cost, no obligation.
Ready to hire us? Register with us
For veterans who’ve decided they want us on their claim — registering is free too, and it does not make you our client or obligate you to anything. Here is exactly how it works:
- You register. This simply starts the conversation — you are not our client yet, and you owe us nothing.
- You sign and return VA Form 21-22a. It appoints us as your accredited representative and gives us access to your VA file.
- Once we have your signed 21-22a and access to your case, we verify everything is in order.
It involves the registration form and signing VA Form 21-22a — by law we can’t accept your claim, work on it, or contact the VA for you until that power of attorney is signed. You decide whether to move forward.
Answers, in plain language
Common questions about Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31)
What is Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31)?
Veteran Readiness and Employment - once called Vocational Rehabilitation, or "Voc Rehab" - helps veterans whose service-connected disabilities get in the way of work. It can pay for schooling, training, or the tools to start a business, and for the most severely disabled it offers an Independent Living track focused on living more fully at home. It often covers more of your education costs than the GI Bill.
Who qualifies for Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31)?
You generally need a service-connected disability rated 10% or more and a discharge that is other than dishonorable. In some cases a 0% or 10% rating still qualifies if the VA agrees your disability causes a serious employment handicap. The VA must find that your service-connected condition contributes to an "employment handicap" - it makes it hard to get, keep, or advance in suitable work. If your separation date is on or after Jan 1, 2013, there is no deadline to apply. Veterans discharged earlier generally had a 12-year window, but exceptions exist - ask a counselor even if you think you are past the limit.
How do I apply for Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31)?
Apply online at va.gov by signing in and completing VA Form 28-1900 (Application for Veteran Readiness and Employment), or ask any VA office or your VSO to help you file. If you are found eligible, you meet with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) who helps you build a plan and choose one of the five tracks. Bring your DD-214 and your VA rating decision. If you also have Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility, ask about electing the BAH-equivalent housing rate on VA Form 28-0987.
What does it cost to get help with Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31), and are you VA-accredited?
VR&E is one of the most generous benefits the VA offers - it can pay full tuition plus a living stipend - yet it is badly underused because veterans confuse it with the GI Bill or assume they are too old. There is no age limit, and for veterans discharged on or after Jan 1, 2013 there is no time limit either. If a service-connected condition has pushed you out of your old line of work, this is the program to ask about first. It is free to talk with us, and no one may charge you to file a first-time VA claim. The Aging Veteran is led by Albert L. Thombs Jr., a VA-accredited claims agent (accreditation #45147) and disabled veteran; any appeal work is handled on a no-fee-unless-you-win basis.
