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VA Work-Study Program

Are you attending school on the GI Bill? If so your benefits are not indefinite. Some use up the entire VA education benefit before their college career is finished, and some use programs like VA Work Study to help make ends meet in the meantime.

VA Work Study is typically an on-campus option, but nonprofits are also eligible in some cases. If there is a nonprofit that interests you, there’s a good possibility that they may not know that they qualify to offer work-study jobs.

In essence, you may even be able to create your position. The nonprofit gets help that they may not have been able to afford, and you get paid while gaining valuable skills and experience.

How to Apply for VA Work Study (College/University)

Schools that are interested in applying for VA work study must first, and foremost, be certified to enroll students for the GI Bill or other related benefits. If you are a campus-based entity, you will need to be approved for each type of work-study student and demonstrate the value of supporting veterans.

While this may seem overwhelming, the good news is you can continue to use the job descriptions for other students as they transition in and out of your department or office. And there is no set limit, so you could have as many as you get approved for, and if you get the go-ahead, there is a good chance you will retain these spots going forward.

The process itself is pretty straightforward, for the VA that is. You’ll need to send the job description to your Education Liaison Representative (ELR), who serves as the regional contact for both certifications and work-study approvals.

Once you have approvals, students will be able to apply directly by completing VA Form 22-8691(Application for Work Study Allowance), which the school then signs off on, and they can now hire students whom the VA pays.

As the host, the military-friendly school is required to keep track of the students’ hours, provide supervision, and report any changes to their status to the VA. The pay is either based on the federal minimum wage or your state’s minimum wage, whichever is higher. Some schools even put money on top of the VA funding to make these jobs more appealing.

A Work Study permits first-time student workers to request an advance payment of up to 40% of the semester, or 50 hours, whichever is less. They will do so by requesting it when they are first approved through VA Form 22-8691. This must be approved at the onset of the contract and requires the student to work off the advance before submitting additional hours.

How to Apply for VA Work Study (Non-profits)

The application process for nonprofits to utilize VA work-study students is slightly different. First, they must be 501(c)(3), or have a similar designation with a dedicated mission to support veterans, servicemembers, or their families. More specifically, work that may meet VA eligibility is:

• Assistance with applying for or locating VA or community resources
• Providing outreach or counseling
• Support for benefits claims
• Building and maintaining veterans resource centers
• Connecting with peer mentors and,
• Other approved services

Nonprofits, like academic institutions, must apply to be designated as an approved VA worksite through their nearest VA Regional Processing Office (RPO). When doing so, they are required to provide a comprehensive description of the organization’s mission, an outline of the duties that will be performed, a plan for supervision of the participating students, and a projection of the number of students they hope to host for the number of hours available.

Once your organization attains the necessary approvals, you can begin recruiting students to work in your program through posting jobs through local veteran support organizations (VSOs), career centers, and approved VA-education providers. You might also request that the VA forward your job to local eligible students.

The application for students will also be VA22-8691.

How to Apply for Work Study at a College or University

You must be eligible for either the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill, Survivors and Dependents Education Assistance Program (DEA), or Veterans Rehabilitation and Education (VR&E). You must be enrolled for at least ¾’s of full-time in college, vocational, or professional training.

To get started, your best bet is to contact your Veterans Services Office or School Certification Official (SCO) to determine what options are available on or off campus. They should have a list.

On campus, schools may have work-study positions in offices, including:

• Veterans Resource Centers
• Financial Aid
• Disability Support Services
• Campus Library
• Admissions
• Academic Departments

Less common jobs may be in:

• Peer Mentoring
• Outreach or Events Management (particularly for veterans, e.g., career fairs or community service projects)
• Data or Records Clerk
• VA Healthcare Liaison
• Lounge or Resource Center Management
• Tutoring or Academic Support

These positions can be significant resume enhancements and provide valuable insight into positions that might interest you for a career. They are also great for building requisite skills and, perhaps more importantly, networks that may prove extremely valuable down the road. Consider this along with your schedule, pay scale, and site location, as you select which position is right for you.

Fill out your VA 22-8691 (Application for Work-Study Allowance) and include the site and supervisor information for the VA’s review.  The applications will vary, but treat it like a job. Provide a current resume and meet with the supervisor. This is a perfect opportunity to update your resume and bio.

If you have any questions about how to complete the form, do not hesitate to ask for assistance from your School Certifying Official (SCO). It’s a lot more efficient to do so than risking that your application is returned and you are forced to start the whole process again. This could cost you time and money.

You can expect the entire approval within 3-6 weeks, and you cannot begin before the VA signs off on your contract. If you are concerned that the process may affect the availability for the position you are interested in, ask your supervisor if they will hold the spot until your paperwork is complete.

Applying for an Off-Campus Nonprofit Work Study

We explored most of what you need above, but here are a few more intricacies of working off campus under a work study contract.

Make sure that your supervisor’s contact information is available and current, and that the job description is consistent with veteran-focused work. Your school should have a list of off-campus positions, which may include:

• VA Hospitals
• Veterans Homes
• Vet Centers
• American Legion Posts
• Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) locations
• Disabled Veterans of America (DAV)
• Team Red, White, and Blue
• The Mission Continues
• Food Banks, Housing Programs
• Job Placement Services (approved by the VA)
• Research on Subjects related to Veterans (connected with an eligible school or the VA.

Now that we know the potential breadth of work-study opportunities through nonprofits, here are some potential types of jobs that may be offered.

• Administrative Roles (answering phones, greeting guests, scheduling)
• Help with filing, data entry, and management of veterans’ files
• Develop and maintain resource directories
• Represent their organization at community events, resource organizations, and state and local government
• Develop peer groups, workshops, or employment fairs
• Prepare and disseminate official materials to enhance knowledge of the nonprofit
• Serve as a peer mentor
• Create social media posts, newsletters, and constituent correspondence
• Website creation and maintenance
• Support programs for older veterans or those facing food insecurity