VRAP GI Bill Begins Phase Two

In late September the Department of Veterans Affairs had filled all 45,000 Veterans Retraining Assistance Program slots for fiscal year 2012 and had begun the process of approving applications for a total of 54,000 slots available in FY 2013.  As of Oct 4, 2012, the VA has received over 64,000 applications for both application phases of VRAP .

VRAP is designed to help unemployed vets between the ages of 35 and 60 who want to upgrade their skills for high-demand jobs. The goal of VRAP is to train a total of 99,000 Veterans over the next two years in more than 200 job skills that the Department of Labor has determined are the most sought-after by employers.

With completion of the first phase of applicants, VRAP is helping over 45,000 vets by providing them with a year of Montgomery GI Bill benefits (currently $1,564 a month) to cover the cost of training and education which will lead to an associate degree, a non-college degree, or a certificate for a high-demand occupation as defined by DOL.

As of October 1, the door was opened to another 54,000 eligible veterans. To be eligible for VRAP, a Veteran must: 

• Be 35-60 years old, unemployed on the day of application, and not dishonorably discharged;
• Not be eligible for any other VA education benefit program such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill, or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment;
• Not be enrolled in a federal or state job-training program within the last 180 days; and
• Not receive VA compensation at the 100 percent rate due to individual unemployability (IU). 

Potential applicants can learn more about VRAP and apply online at www.benefits.va.gov/VOW, or call VA toll-free at 1-800-827-1000. 

Information about the Department of Labor's programs for Veterans is available at www.dol.gov/vets. Veterans can also visit the nearly 3,000 One-Stop Career Centers across the nation, listed at www.servicelocator.org, for in-person employment assistance.