VR&E (Chapter 31) Explained: Eligibility, Tracks, Pay and How to Apply

Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E), also called Chapter 31 and formerly Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, is the VA programme that helps Veterans and service members with a service-connected disability prepare for, find and keep suitable work. You generally need a VA disability rating of at least 10 percent and an employment handicap, and you apply with VA Form 28-1900. This guide covers who qualifies, the five tracks, the monthly allowance, the application and the counsellor meeting.

What VR&E is

VA describes VR&E as help to explore employment options and address education or training needs when a service-connected disability limits or prevents work. It is a separate benefit from disability compensation and from the GI Bill. Compensation pays for the disability. VR&E pays for the route back into work: assessment, counselling, training, job placement, business start-up support or, where work is not yet realistic, independent living services.

Every participant works with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC), who acts as case manager and builds a written rehabilitation plan. The plan lists the services VR&E will provide and the employment goal they serve.

Who is eligible

VA's eligibility page sets out two layers: basic eligibility, then entitlement.

Basic eligibility for Veterans

• You did not receive a dishonourable discharge. Veterans with other than honourable or bad conduct discharges may not qualify for VA benefits and can pursue a discharge upgrade or a Character of Discharge review.
• You have a service-connected disability rating of at least 10 percent from VA.

Entitlement: the employment handicap test

Eligible Veterans then need a finding from the counsellor. VA's definitions page explain the two levels:

• An employment handicap is an impairment of your ability to prepare for, obtain or retain employment. Veterans rated 20 percent or more, inside the basic period, qualify on this finding.
• A serious employment handicap is a more significant impairment that stems substantially from a service-connected disability. Veterans rated 10 percent, and Veterans past the 12-year basic period, need this finding.

The rule is in 38 CFR 21.40: 20 percent or more plus an employment handicap, or under 20 percent plus a serious employment handicap.

The 12-year basic period and its exceptions

VA's eligibility page gives two rules, depending on your discharge date:

A counsellor can extend the 12-year period for a Veteran with a serious employment handicap. 38 CFR 21.44 allows this when you have not yet reached employability, or when you trained for a job and later find that a worsened service-connected disability, an unsuitable occupation or changed job requirements need further help. The regulation text at 38 CFR 21.41 also lists extensions for medical conditions, independent living services and recall to active duty.

Service members still on active duty

You can qualify before discharge if you have a pre-discharge (memorandum) rating of 20 percent or more and will soon leave the military, or if you are waiting to be discharged because of a severe illness or injury from active duty. Severely injured members can receive VR&E before VA issues a rating. Service members without a rating apply on VA Form 28-0588, for example when they are in the Physical Evaluation Board process or the Integrated Disability Evaluation System.

How long VR&E lasts

VA's education comparison page states you may be eligible for up to 48 months of VR&E benefits, and a counsellor can approve more in certain situations. 38 CFR 21.78 sets out when a plan can run past 48 months, for example when a service-connected disability now prevents you working in the field you trained for. Extensions need approval from a counsellor and concurrence from the VR&E Officer. For how this interacts with GI Bill months, read VR&E versus the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

The five tracks

You and your counsellor choose one track, as VA explains on its tracks page.

Participants in an employment track can also receive related support, which VA's VR&E overview lists as job training, accommodations, resume development and job-seeking coaching. VA may also use salary subsidies, assistive technology, non-paid work experience and employer incentives to help place Veterans.

Subsistence allowance: current rates

While you train, VR&E can pay a monthly subsistence allowance. The rate depends on training type, attendance level and dependants. These figures took effect on 1 October 2026 (fiscal year 2027), after a 3 percent cost-of-living increase, according to VA's fiscal year 2027 rate table. They apply to institutional training such as college or a training course.

Apprenticeship, farm cooperative and other on-the-job training pays a lower full-time rate: $731.99 with no dependants and $885.21 with one. For on-the-job training, your training wage plus the allowance cannot exceed the journeyman wage. A quarter-time rate exists only during extended evaluation. The maximum monthly rate from 1 October 2026 is $3,542.47, which assumes full-time training and a very large number of dependants.

Veterans who also have Post-9/11 GI Bill entitlement can elect to be paid an amount equal to the GI Bill housing allowance instead. 38 CFR 21.264 allows this election while you keep every other Chapter 31 service. Rates change each 1 October, so check the VA table before you plan a budget.

How to apply

VA's how-to-apply page lists four routes if you already have a disability rating:

1. Online through VA.gov. Eligible applicants are invited to an orientation at the nearest VA regional office.
2. By mail with VA Form 28-1900, Application for Veteran Readiness and Employment for Claimants with Service-Connected Disabilities. Send it to VR&E Intake Center, PO Box 5210, Janesville, WI 53547-5210.
3. In person at a VA regional office.
4. With a representative: an accredited attorney, claims agent or VSO representative.

VA's pages list no extra supporting documents beyond the forms. Educational and career counselling has a separate application, VA Form 28-8832.

What happens at the counsellor meeting

After you apply, VA schedules a meeting with a VRC. The counsellor decides whether you have an employment handicap and are entitled to services. If you are, you and the counsellor write the rehabilitation plan and choose a track. Come prepared to discuss your work history, your skills, how your service-connected conditions limit the work you can do, and the job or business you want. Students at participating schools can also meet VetSuccess on Campus counsellors.

If VA decides you are not eligible, you can request a decision review.

Can you use VR&E abroad

Yes, in limited cases. 38 CFR 21.130 lets VA provide educational and vocational courses outside a State when the case manager decides it serves the best interest of the Veteran and the Federal Government. Three conditions apply: the training is needed for your occupational objective, it is unavailable in the United States or attending in the US would cause personal hardship, and the supportive services you need, such as medical care and employment services, are reasonably available through VA. Veterans living overseas should raise this with a counsellor early. For disability compensation overseas, see VA disability compensation abroad.