VR&E Calculator

Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness & Employment — tuition with no cap, plus a monthly subsistence allowance.

At 10% this is required. At 20% or more it is not — an ordinary employment handicap is enough. VR&E makes the determination, not you.
Chapter 31 allows up to 48 months. Extensions beyond that exist for veterans with a serious employment handicap.
VR&E pays tuition and fees in full with no annual cap — the single biggest difference from the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Eligibility window

Only relevant if you separated before 1 January 2013. For later separations the 12-year window was eliminated entirely.

Fill in your rating and program details, then press Calculate VR&E Benefits.

Why this is the under-used benefit

Chapter 31 pays tuition and fees in full, with no annual cap, plus all required books, supplies and equipment, plus a monthly subsistence allowance. It is a separate 48-month entitlement from the GI Bill, though the two share a combined 48-month ceiling across all VA education benefits.

Veterans with a service-connected rating routinely use the Post-9/11 GI Bill without ever being told VR&E exists, and at an expensive private school the difference runs to tens of thousands of dollars a year. If you have a compensable rating and an employment handicap, this is the first benefit to ask about, not the last.

  • 10% rating — eligible with a serious employment handicap.
  • 20% or more — eligible with an ordinary employment handicap.
  • Separated on or after 1 January 2013 — no application deadline at all.

Estimates only, at the FY2026 subsistence rates effective 1 October 2025. Eligibility for VR&E is determined by a Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellor, who assesses whether an employment handicap exists and whether a rehabilitation program is feasible — a rating alone does not entitle you to the benefit. Entitlement beyond 48 months, the Post-9/11 subsistence election and independent living programs all have additional rules. Apply through VA Form 28-1900 on VA.gov.