The VA is making changes to extend and improve its work-study program in the hopes of increasing participation and making it more beneficial to Veterans. Improvements include increasing the payment frequency from monthly to bi-weekly, extending job opportunities, and procedural improvements that will assist Veterans in gaining job-related experience in their career field.
About the Work-study Program
The VA work-study program is available to GI Bill recipients who are enrolled at 3/4 training time or greater. Trainees earn an hourly wage equal to the Federal minimum wage (currently $7.25 per hour) or their State minimum wage, whichever is greater.
VA has recently made changes to payment procedures allowing participants to be paid every two weeks, or upon the completion of 50 hours of work, whichever comes first. This was done to ease financial hardships that past participants reported.
VA is also expanding the type of work that may be performed in the work-study program to make it more accessible and hopefully more relevant to degrees and careers that Veterans are contemplating.
Examples of acceptable work are:
- The preparation and processing of necessary papers and other documents at educational institutions
- Any activity at a VA facility
- Any activity at Department of Defense, Coast Guard, or National Guard facilities relating to the administration of GI Bill programs
- Any activity of a State Veterans agency related to providing assistance to Veterans in obtaining any benefit under Title 38, U.S.C. or the laws of the State
- A position working in a Center for Excellence for Veteran Student Success, as established under 20 U.S.C. 1161t, which purpose is to support and coordinate academic, financial, physical, and social needs of Veteran students
- A position working in a cooperative program carried out jointly by the VA and an Institution of Higher Learning
- Any veterans-related position in an Institution of Higher Learning, such as:
- Assisting with dissemination of general information regarding Veteran benefits and/or services
- Providing assistance to Veteran students with general inquiries about Veteran benefits via phone, email, or in person
- Maintaining and organizing veteran-related files
Currently the VA is offering these expanded opportunities in the Buffalo, NY area but will shortly be expanding them throughout New York State and beyond. The VA hopes these changes will make the work-study program more attractive to today's Veterans and offer them a chance to earn a salary as well as real life work experience while they are enrolled in school and using their GI Bill benefits.
To learn more about the work-study program, see our work-study program page.
