EDUCATIONVA program
On-the-Job Training and Apprenticeship Programs
GI Bill, Fry Scholarship, and DEA benefits can be used for VA-approved on-the-job training (OJT) and registered apprenticeships, providing a monthly payment for living expenses (under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, a housing allowance that steps down every 6 months) while trainees earn industry-recognized credentials and wages.
Available to veterans, reservists, and family members using GI Bill, Fry Scholarship, DEA, or transferred Post-9/11 benefits; not to active duty members or their spouses using transferred benefits
Step-by-step guide
What the employer, the State Approving Agency, and VA look for
- An approved apprenticeship or on-the-job programThe employer or union program is approved by the State Approving Agency: a registered apprenticeship under Labor Department standards, or other on-the-job training with a wage schedule that starts at 50 percent of the trained wage and reaches 85 percent by the end. The GI Bill Comparison Tool lists approved employers.
- A new employee training full time under a signed agreementA veteran, reservist, Fry Scholar, or spouse or child using transferred months, in a training contract with the employer or union for a set period. An active duty member, or the spouse of an active duty member using transferred months, cannot use this benefit. On-the-job training is measured full time only, on the standard workweek.
- 120 hours of training in the month for the full paymentThe full monthly amount needs at least 120 hours of training in the month; VA reduces the payment for a month with fewer hours. As the payment steps down, the months charged step down with it.
Source: 38 CFR 21.4261 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.4262 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: GI Bill Comparison Tool (opens in new tab); VA.gov: on-the-job training and apprenticeships (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.4270 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9641(c) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill rates (opens in new tab)
Which GI Bill are you using?
- Post-9/11 GI Bill or Fry Scholarship
VA pays a monthly housing allowance that steps down every 6 months on a set schedule, plus a books and supplies payment. No tuition is paid, because the employer pays you.
Source: 38 CFR 21.9641(c) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: on-the-job training and apprenticeships (opens in new tab)
- Montgomery GI Bill or DEA (Chapter 35)
The same approved programs, paid at a share of the full-time monthly rate instead of a housing allowance. No books allowance.
- An approved program, a signed agreement, and 120 hours a monthThe Montgomery GI Bill pays 75 percent of the full-time rate for the first 6 months, 55 percent for the second 6 months, and 35 percent after that. Chapter 35 steps down by 6-month period too; the rates page prints the amounts. The full amount needs 120 hours of training in the month.
Source: 38 CFR 21.7136 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: on-the-job training and apprenticeships (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty rates (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Chapter 35 rates (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.3130 (opens in new tab)
What to gather, and what it shows VA
| Document | What it shows | How VA gets it | Have it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| VA Form 22-1990 (22-5490 for DEA and Fry, 22-1990e for transferred months) The GI Bill application. A trainee who already has a decision letter for the GI Bill does not file it again. | That you are asking VA to pay the GI Bill for this training | Apply online or download the form from VA.gov and mail it. | |
| Training agreement (VA Form 22-8864) The signed agreement between you and the employer, naming the job objective, the training period, the wage schedule, and the related instruction. A copy goes to you, to VA, and to the State Approving Agency. | That the program is approved and you are in it | The employer completes and files it with VA; you sign it. | |
| Monthly certification of hours The monthly report of hours worked in training. VA uses it to pay the month and to apply the 120-hour rule. | How many hours you trained in the month | The employer certifies the hours to VA each month; ask the employer who sends it. | |
| VA's decision letter (the COE) The letter VA sends after approving the GI Bill. It shows the benefit, the level, and the months. | Which GI Bill you have, at what level, and how many months | VA mails it after the application. A veteran who applied for the Post-9/11 GI Bill on VA.gov may be able to download it; family members can ask VA for a copy. | Yes |
The employer sends the training agreement and the monthly hours to VA. BeneVets does not ask for copies of anything.
Steps, in order
- Get free help from a VSO
Free help: an accredited VSO can file this with you. Find one near you in the BeneVets VSO directory at Find an accredited VSO near you.
Source: VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab)
- Check that the employer program is approved
Search the GI Bill Comparison Tool for the employer or union. If the program is not listed, the employer can apply to the State Approving Agency.
Source: VA.gov: GI Bill Comparison Tool (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.4261 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.4262 (opens in new tab)
- Apply for the GI Bill if you have not already
File VA Form 22-1990 (VA Form 22-5490 for DEA or the Fry Scholarship, or VA Form 22-1990e for a spouse or child using transferred months) and wait for the decision letter.
Source: VA Form 22-1990 (opens in new tab); VA Form 22-5490 (opens in new tab); VA Form 22-1990e (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to apply for the GI Bill (opens in new tab)
- Sign the training agreement
The employer prepares VA Form 22-8864 with the job objective, the training period, and the wage schedule, and files it with VA and the State Approving Agency.
Source: VA Form 22-8864 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.4261 (opens in new tab)
- Have the hours certified each month
The employer certifies your training hours to VA each month. The full payment needs 120 hours; fewer hours mean a smaller payment for that month.
Source: 38 CFR 21.9641(c) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill rates (opens in new tab)
Good to know
Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill the monthly payment starts from the E-5 with dependents housing rate for the employer's zip code, times your Post-9/11 benefit level: the full amount in months 1 to 6, 80 percent in months 7 to 12, 60 percent in months 13 to 18, 40 percent in months 19 to 24, and 20 percent after 24 months. The employer wage rises on its own schedule over the same time.
Source: 38 CFR 21.9641(c) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill rates (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.4262 (opens in new tab)
A Post-9/11 or Fry trainee can receive a books and supplies payment for each month of training, prorated by benefit level and paid at the start of the award and of each academic year. The figure is below.
Source: VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill rates (opens in new tab); VA.gov: on-the-job training and apprenticeships (opens in new tab)
A training contract with an employer or union, a wage that rises as you learn, and a job certification or journeyman status when the program ends.
Source: VA.gov: on-the-job training and apprenticeships (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.4262 (opens in new tab)
BeneVets is informational and is not an accredited representative. Free help: an accredited VSO can work through VA benefits with you at no cost. Find an accredited VSO near you
Sources checked October 14, 2026: 38 CFR 21.256 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 21.3130 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 21.4261 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 21.4262 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 21.4270 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 21.7136 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 21.9641(c) (opens in new tab), VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab), VA.gov: Chapter 35 rates (opens in new tab), VA.gov: after you apply for education benefits (opens in new tab), VA.gov: how to apply for the GI Bill (opens in new tab), VA.gov: download your VA education letter (opens in new tab), VA.gov: check remaining education benefits (opens in new tab), VA.gov: GI Bill Comparison Tool (opens in new tab), VA.gov: Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty rates (opens in new tab), VA.gov: on-the-job training and apprenticeships (opens in new tab), VA.gov: Post-9/11 GI Bill rates (opens in new tab), VA Form 22-1990 (opens in new tab), VA Form 22-1990e (opens in new tab), VA Form 22-5490 (opens in new tab), VA Form 22-8864 (opens in new tab)