VRRAP Funding for Certification Programs
Getting Started with VRRAP
Recognizing an opportunity to help the Veteran community with obtaining more job skills, the VA has recently rolled out a new training program for Veterans seeking vocational certification called Veterans Rapid Retraining Program or VRRAP. Digital Workshop Center is excited to be an approved technology training institution to provide certificate program education to all eligible Veterans. Many prospective students have already reached out to schedule advising calls and take advantage of this new opportunity. We want to help answer some common questions and provide guidance to Veteran students considering the VRRAP program as best as we can.
What is VRRAP?
According to the VA website “The Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP) offers education and training for high-demand jobs to Veterans who are unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.” The VRRAP program is different than standard GI Bill benefits in many ways. Most importantly, this is a separate funding source for Veterans looking to upskill to get back to work and there is a limited amount of money and participants allowed. VRRAP will be available until the VA reaches either the $386 million funding limit or the 17,250 participant limit.
The programs that VRRAP approves for funding must be in a high demand, high growth industry, which is determined by the Department of Labor. You can review high demand occupations here.
To review all eligible training programs, including Digital Workshop Center’s certificate program offerings, click here for the official VRRAP eligible training program page.
Many students have been contacted directly from the VA already, with a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) email or similar. If you have already gotten your COE email and wish to enroll in a certification program at DWC, you may schedule a free advising call by clicking here to get started with your training.
Who is eligible for VRRAP?
Eligibility for VRRAP is solely determined by the VA. Digital Workshop Center is an approved occupational school that can provide technology and business certifications for those students who qualify.
According to the VRRAP website, to be eligible for this program, you must meet all the requirements listed here.
All of these must be true. You’re:
- At least 22 years old, but not older than 66, and
- Unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and
- Not rated as totally disabled because you can’t work, and
- Not enrolled in a federal or state jobs program
- Note: You can’t receive VRRAP benefits at the same time as you’re receiving unemployment benefits (including CARES Act benefits).
At the time you apply for VRRAP, you can’t be eligible for any of these other benefits:
- Post-9/11 GI Bill
- Montgomery GI Bill
- Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)
- Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA)
- Veterans’ Educational Assistance Program (VEAP)
- Note: You can get VRRAP benefits if you were at one time eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill but you’ve transferred all of your benefits to family members
Housing Allowance
The VRRAP does include a housing allowance but the amount will depend on the style of training and length of the program. While we still await more information on the specifics of this, the COE letters have stated that “If you are attending in-residence training, this amount is equal the military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents, based on the zip code of where you are physically attending training. If you are pursuing training through distance or online learning only, the MHA will be paid at the rate of one-half of the national average of the military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents.”
Questions?
If you would like to speak to a VA education specialist, please visit the VRRAP web page and use the appropriate contact information to get help.
To speak with a student advisor at DWC about training options under VRRAP, schedules, and payments, please contact us to get started.