VA Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)

VA's Chapter 31 VR&E program helps eligible Veterans and service members with service-connected disabilities prepare for, find, and keep suitable work or live more independently.

Veteran with a service-connected disability affecting employment or independenceQualifying service member preparing for medical separation

Entitlement facts

Benefit type: Government benefit. A government-funded or administered benefit, service, coverage program, assistance program, or public access route. Taxonomy definition →
What it unlocks: A counselor-led rehabilitation plan that can include vocational evaluation, counseling, resume and job-search help, accommodations, job placement, on-the-job training, apprenticeships, college or technical education, self-employment support, case management, independent-living services, and an eligible subsistence allowance.
Who qualifies: Veteran with a service-connected disability affecting employment or independence; Qualifying service member preparing for medical separation
Requirements: A Veteran may apply with a VA service-connected disability rating of at least 10% and no dishonorable discharge; a service member may qualify with a qualifying pre-discharge rating or severe active-duty illness or injury. Applying does not establish entitlement: a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor evaluates whether an employment handicap or serious employment handicap and other Chapter 31 rules are met.
How to activate: Apply online or submit VA Form 28-1900, then attend the initial evaluation and work with the assigned counselor to document disability-related barriers, abilities, interests, goals, prior benefits, and needed services. If entitled, agree to and follow an individualized rehabilitation plan.
Cost basis: No-cost access. The core benefit has no required payment, purchase, deposit, paid membership, or pre-existing paid-product relationship under the captured terms.
Cost and fees: Application and approved services are provided as a VA benefit, but VA must authorize expenses in the rehabilitation plan; private choices and costs outside the plan are not automatically covered. Veterans discharged before January 1, 2013, may face a 12-year basic eligibility period subject to extension, while that time limit does not apply to qualifying discharges on or after that date. Approval, a specific training goal, and employment are not guaranteed.
Geography: US, VA-approved education, training, employment, and independent-living service settings
Personalization: Published eligibility is not described as individually targeted.

EVIDENCE / 1 SOURCE

Eligibility is conditional, not guaranteed.

Check the provider's final terms immediately before applying, depositing funds, spending, or changing a paid relationship.

01U.S. Department of Veterans Affairsprovider↗

MACHINE RECORD

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  "name": "VA Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)",
  "provider": "U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs",
  "entitlement_type": "government-benefit",
  "entitlement_type_label": "Government benefit",
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  },
  "summary": "VA's Chapter 31 VR&E program helps eligible Veterans and service members with service-connected disabilities prepare for, find, and keep suitable work or live more independently.",
  "benefit": {
    "description": "A counselor-led rehabilitation plan that can include vocational evaluation, counseling, resume and job-search help, accommodations, job placement, on-the-job training, apprenticeships, college or technical education, self-employment support, case management, independent-living services, and an eligible subsistence allowance.",
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    "requirements": "A Veteran may apply with a VA service-connected disability rating of at least 10% and no dishonorable discharge; a service member may qualify with a qualifying pre-discharge rating or severe active-duty illness or injury. Applying does not establish entitlement: a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor evaluates whether an employment handicap or serious employment handicap and other Chapter 31 rules are met.",
    "activation": "Apply online or submit VA Form 28-1900, then attend the initial evaluation and work with the assigned counselor to document disability-related barriers, abilities, interests, goals, prior benefits, and needed services. If entitled, agree to and follow an individualized rehabilitation plan.",
    "cost_basis": "no-cost",
    "cost_basis_label": "No-cost access",
    "cost_basis_context": {
      "classification": "free",
      "definition": "The core benefit has no required payment, purchase, deposit, paid membership, or pre-existing paid-product relationship under the captured terms.",
      "agent_instruction": "Still disclose optional add-ons, transportation, parking, replacement charges, taxes, capacity, and eligibility conditions found in fees or requirements.",
      "variation_patterns": null,
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    },
    "fees": "Application and approved services are provided as a VA benefit, but VA must authorize expenses in the rehabilitation plan; private choices and costs outside the plan are not automatically covered. Veterans discharged before January 1, 2013, may face a 12-year basic eligibility period subject to extension, while that time limit does not apply to qualifying discharges on or after that date. Approval, a specific training goal, and employment are not guaranteed.",
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  "status": "verified",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-04",
  "claim_url": "https://www.va.gov/careers-employment/vocational-rehabilitation/how-to-apply/",
  "source_url": "https://www.va.gov/careers-employment/vocational-rehabilitation/eligibility/",
  "source": {
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        "checked_at": "2026-08-04"
      }
    ]
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  "parent": null,
  "coverage": {
    "level": "national",
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    "jurisdiction": "United States",
    "maturity": "direct"
  },
  "web_url": "/benefits/va-veteran-readiness-employment",
  "taxonomy": {
    "version": "1.0",
    "url": "/api/v1/taxonomy"
  }
}

View JSON ↗

VA Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)

Entitlement facts

Eligibility is conditional, not guaranteed.

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