EDUCATIONVA program
VA Work-Study Program
Part-time employment for VA-benefit recipients enrolled at least 3/4 time, performing VA-related services on campus or at VA facilities, paid at the higher of federal or state minimum wage.
Available to veterans enrolled at least 3/4 time using VA education benefits
Step-by-step guide
What VA looks for: a student and a site
- At least three-quarter timeEnrolled at least three-quarter time (a 75 percent rate of pursuit under the Post-9/11 GI Bill) in a college degree, vocational, or professional program.
- Paid under an approved VA education programThe Post-9/11 GI Bill (including transferred months, the Fry Scholarship, and the STEM Scholarship), the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty or Selected Reserve, VET TEC 2.0, DEA, or VR&E. DEA students must attend a school in one of the 50 states.
- Able to finish the contract while still coveredThe agreement must be one you can complete while your education benefit still runs. If your load drops below three-quarter time, VA may let you finish the agreement in the same or the next term.
Source: 38 CFR 21.4145 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.9670 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Work Study (opens in new tab); VA Form 22-8691 (opens in new tab)
Which situation is yours?
- Student using a VA education benefit
VA looks at your course load, which program pays for your training, and whether the contract can be finished while that benefit still runs.
Source: 38 CFR 21.4145 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Work Study (opens in new tab)
- An approved work site
The job must be entirely VA-related, at a site VA approves, with the duties described up front.
- VA-related work at an approved siteVA regional offices, medical centers, data centers, cemeteries, and the Board; schools with VA-approved programs; state veterans agencies and state approving agencies; VSOs, veterans hospitals, state homes, national and state veterans cemeteries, congressional offices, and home-care settings for veterans. Selected Reserve students can also work at Defense Department, Homeland Security, or National Guard sites.
- Selection when spots are limitedVA gives priority to veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 30 percent or more, then weighs need, transportation to the site, motivation, and fit with physical condition.
Source: 38 CFR 21.4145 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Work Study (opens in new tab)
What to gather, and what it shows VA
| Document | What it shows | How VA gets it | Have it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| VA Form 22-8691 The application for a work-study allowance. It asks your benefit program, school and program, current and next enrollment dates, whether you want an advance, your site preference, work experience, availability, and skills. | The program paying you, your enrollment, and the site you want | Send the completed form through Ask VA or mail it to the Muskogee regional processing office, as the form says; VA.gov says to contact the processing office that handles your claim. | |
| Position description from the work site The site's description of the duties, sent with the first application and again if the duties change. | That the work is entirely VA-related and allowed for that kind of site | The site writes it and provides it with your application. | |
| Enrollment certification from your school The certification your school sends VA for the term, with your program and credit or clock hours. | Three-quarter time or more under a VA education benefit | The school's certifying official sends it to VA; you do not file it. | |
| VA rating decision The decision that rated your service-connected conditions. A rating of 30 percent or more moves you up the selection order. | Priority for a work-study spot | VA already holds it; decision letters download on VA.gov. | Yes |
The application and the work site's duties list go to VA. BeneVets does not ask for copies of them.
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 your load and your benefit
You need at least three-quarter time under one of the listed VA education programs, and enough time left on that benefit to finish the contract.
Source: VA.gov: Work Study (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.4145 (opens in new tab)
- Pick a site and ask about work-study
Ask the veterans office at your school, a VA regional office or medical center, a VSO, or another listed site whether it takes work-study students. The site provides the duties description for the application.
Source: VA.gov: Work Study (opens in new tab); VA Form 22-8691 (opens in new tab)
- Apply with VA Form 22-8691
Fill out the form, say whether you want an advance, and send it through Ask VA or to the regional processing office. Questions about other aid go to the school's financial aid office.
Source: VA Form 22-8691 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Work Study (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Ask VA (opens in new tab)
- Do not start until VA approves
Work-study duties begin only after VA approves the contract. Starting early is work VA does not pay for.
- Log hours and get paid
After any advance is worked off, VA pays each 50 hours or every 14 days. A drop below three-quarter time or an early end to training limits the hours you can still complete.
Source: VA.gov: Work Study (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.4145 (opens in new tab)
Good to know
The hourly rate is the higher of the federal or state minimum wage; the school may add the difference to its usual student rate. Total hours cannot exceed 25 for each 7 days in the enrollment period. Work can happen during or between terms.
Source: VA.gov: Work Study (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 21.4145 (opens in new tab)
You can take the first payment in advance for the lesser of 40 percent of the contract or 50 hours, once per contract. After the advance is worked off, VA pays each time you finish 50 hours or every 14 days, whichever comes first. An advance for hours not worked becomes a debt to VA.
Source: 38 CFR 21.4145 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Work Study (opens in new tab); VA Form 22-8691 (opens in new tab)
Work-study pay is on top of your education benefit and is not charged against your months.
Source: 38 CFR 21.9561 (opens in new tab); VA Form 22-8691 (opens in new tab)
Outreach under VA supervision, paperwork at schools or VA offices, help at VA hospitals and domiciliaries, Selected Reserve program work at Defense Department, Coast Guard, or Guard sites, and other VA activities. The site sends a description of the duties with the application, and schools and congressional offices are limited in what their students can do.
Source: 38 CFR 21.4145 (opens in new tab); VA Form 22-8691 (opens in new tab)
Signing the application is a promise not to start work-study duties until VA approves the contract.
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 7, 2026: 38 CFR 21.4145 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 21.9561 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 21.9670 (opens in new tab), VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab), VA.gov: Ask VA (opens in new tab), VA.gov: download VA benefit letters (opens in new tab), VA.gov: Work Study (opens in new tab), VA Form 22-8691 (opens in new tab)