VA Work-Study Program

At this time the VA Work-Study Program recipients can only be student veterans, spouses, or dependents who are using any of the following VA Educational Benefits: Chapters 30, 31, 33, 35, 1606, Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship, Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship), and National Call to Service Participants.

To receive the benefit:

1. The student must be enrolled in at least 9 semester hours or greater.
2. Students may work up to 400 hours during a semester.
3. Students MUST have an active enrollment in the system for the semester they wish to work
   
4. All students must complete a new application each semester (Fall, Winter, Spring, and each Summer semesters). 
5. Students can receive contract extensions at the request of their Site Supervisor for an additional 30 days beyond their contract end date without submitting an additional application, as long as the team member has remaining hours on that contract.
6. All students MUST be certified using the VA (Form 22-1999) by the School Certifying Official prior to application Submission.

Additional Information about the Program:

• As a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, any Work-Study Site that closes and is unable to sustain employability for its approved VA Work-Study students, those students could still receive work-study benefits through the end of their contract term. The Site Supervisor MUST agree to and approve the selection of work-study students and submit the valid documentation to the VA for processing.
• The Site Supervisor submits all applications, whether new or extension applications/requests on the student's behalf. If the student submits the application on their own, without the express authorization of a Site Supervisor, you risk a processing delay or denial.
• Returning students for work-study wanting to extend his/her contract must also submit a new application for the anticipated upcoming semester.
• Students cannot start working until the application is approved and a contract is received by the Site Supervisor. 
• The VA will deny all applications if they cannot prove that the SCO has certified enrollment for the terms identified on the application.
• If the student is receiving CH31 VR&E benefits, the student's enrollment must be verifiable in CWINRS. If CWINRS is NOT updated the application will be denied and the student will have to reapply. VR&E recipients must communicate with their case managers prior to application submission of their interest in working VA Work-Study.
• No Payments will be issued until a signed contract or extension request is received by the Department of Veterans Affairs from the Site Supervisor.
• Students can potentially start working up to 30 days before any term begins, as long as the application parameters are met. 
• Students will receive 25 hours (X) the number of weeks in their term to work. For example, if the term is 16 weeks long, they can work a maximum of 400 hours (16 x 25). If they are approved to start working before the term begins or over a break,
• they can do so, but will NOT get additional hours. The total allotted is based on the calculation (25 X total weeks in a term).

Payment Process

• Timesheets must be submitted and completed according to policy bi-weekly for payment
• Timesheet hours cannot exceed 25 hours per week, 50 hours per 2 weeks. Any hour increment over 50 hours bi-weekly will be pushed to the next pay period
• Students can request advance payment, as long as the request is submitted with the original application.
• Advance pay will provide the student with 50 hours of pay in advance of working, and no additional payments will be made to the student until the 50 hours has been repaid in time.
• Payments through this program a administered through the Department of Veterans Affairs
• Payments in no way impact the student's VA Educational benefit being received.
• Payments are made at the federal or state minimum wage, whichever is greater.
• Students are not mandated to file taxes on VA Work-Study funding received.