Recent changes could mean more Gi Bill Benefits for some veterans

What is VR&E?

The VA administered Veteran Readiness and Employment, formerly known as Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, Chapter 31 benefit is designed to provide additional assistance to veterans and service members that have a service-connected disability rating that prevents or limits their ability to work.

Under VR&E, eligible members can receive support services in 5 areas: re-employment, rapid access to employment, self-employment, employment through long-term services, and independent living.

You may qualify for additional education benefits

Under the long-term services track, veterans or service members that find it hard to succeed in their current employment path, due to their service-connected disability, could receive education and training benefits to work in a field that better suits their current abilities and interests.

Retraining paths may include professional or vocational education to be marketable in their newly selected career field. This means you may receive additional funding for college, apprenticeship, or on-the-job training programs.

While VR&E can provide education and subsistence funding, much like the GI Bill, the main focus is to provide resources that lead to quality employment that will not further aggravate a service-connected disability. You will work with a VR&E Counselor to determine entitlement and create an education and employment plan. At minimum, in order to receive benefits under this track, the VA requires all to be true:

You have an employment barrier or handicap, and
You’re enrolled in VR&E, and
Your service-connected disability makes it hard for you to prepare for, obtain, and maintain suitable employment (a job that doesn’t make your disability worse, is stable, and matches your abilities, aptitudes, and interests)

Recent VR&E Changes May Affect GI Bill Eligibility

The Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bills provide up to 36 months of education benefits. Since many members qualify for more than one benefit, the “rule of 48” caps government funded education benefits at 48 total months. Now, if eligible members use VR&E benefits prior to using any other VA education program, such as GI Bill, they can still use up to 48 total months of the other educational assistance benefit programs.

A recent update from the VA states that “effective April 1, 2021, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will no longer count the use of Veterans Readiness & Employment (VR&E) benefits (Chapter 31) against the 48-month limit on GI Bill education benefits such as the Post-9/11 GI bill.”

Veterans and service members currently using VR&E benefits may see a recalculated increase in GI Bill eligibility due to VR&E “charged” as prior VA training.

What should I do first?

Using GI Bill education benefits prior to VR&E will continue to count against the 48-month limit on Veterans Readiness and Employment benefits. Because of the way the law is worded, there is a distinction between the order of usage to get the maximum amount of education allotment.

Mission43 members that have a service-connected disability rating and think they may be eligible for VR&E benefits should consider using VR&E benefits prior to GI Bill, provided that their GI Bill benefit delimitation date does not occur prior to expected graduation or training completion date.

Connect with the local VA Veterans Readiness and Employment Counselor, or visit eBenefits to apply. For additional clarification, members should contact the VA Education Help Desk at 1-888-442-4551.

Learn more

For more information, connect with Mission43’s education advisor today!