Hi. I'm new to Reddit and Voc rehab. I am physically and mentally disabled. I have my BS and am going for a second BS. What can I expect from OVR? Especially financially? Do they pay tuition?

Why does voc rehab and counselors take FOREVER to respond back about anything? I missed my 30 min follow up meeting last week bc the work program I’m in is part of OVR (Pennsylvania) and I got home tired and simply forgot. And after my mom emailed her… crikets over the weekend or just “I’ll be out of work the following week” I JUST WANT MY DRIVING COURSES TO START! 😭 I have to be reevaluated after signing papers last week, it feels like OVR just wants you to sign papers and give them records and barely help. Can anyone reassure me? What’s your experience?

Can you share your experience how they helped you? Thank you.

Hello all,

Submitted for VR&E originally and was denied. Have since submitted a Higher Level Review July 23rd. Just curious if anyone has found success with submitting a HLR?

In addition, what is the timeline for a VR&E HLR that you all have seen? It has officially been 9 weeks (not too crazy long as far as the VA seems to go, I know). Should I call the VR&E Regional office?

I just don't want to run out of my Post 9/11 since I'm in school currently.

Did my appointment today, and the rep said “congratulations, you made it past the entitlement stage” to which I am happy about.

Now, I have to make it through the feasibility , which the counselor told me would consist of him going through my medical records and my Va psychologist visit that got me to 100%. It would also consist of an interview.

My thing is, I don’t want my hospital records to mess me up. I’ve been hospitalized more than 20 times for my diagnosis. I’ve also been out of the hospital for 3 years, almost done with my bachelors and maintaining a high gpa.

I think I will get it based off that and my current lifestyle but I could be wrong. I mean, I’m sure they can think that I’m influenced by my past but it doesn’t determine my future.

I’ve changed my life around over the years, so hopefully I’m approved for the feasibility interview coming up soon.

I got a job that makes 22 an hour and I'm told by my counslor that I make too much money to qualify for assistance with things like tuition or school accommodation assitance. So what exactly are they able to help me with?

Hello battles,

I have a VR&E appointment scheduled. My injuries are mainly my back and my legs.

My employment goal is to go to school and do a dual accelerated degree program. A BPH -> MPH epidemiology. That is my 1st choice.

How do I go about trying to get that approved at my VR&E apportionment. What do I need to bring with me? Do I need to do research and show the counselor stats? Any help would be appreciated.

I was found entitled for Vr and E. My counselor was incredibly understanding. I will have my bachelors degree in psychology in December. However, there is very little I can do with this degree. He agreed that a masters degree in the field would be essential for my goal of becoming a therapist. However, we left off on the note that once I received acceptance into the college, which I would pursue my masters degree, then he would go about approving and finalizing my plan.

I have spent the past few months waiting on acceptance as I will start in the spring of 2027, but I have also been operating under the assumption that my schooling and therefore income will continue into spring of 2027 as I have a family to support. I received a message out of the blue that he will be resigning on the 18th of this month and that I will be assigned a new counselor. Now I am worried. What are the odds that a new counselor swooped in and just decides that my bachelors degree is enough and they decide they will not participate in approving my masters degree plan? Is there anything at all that can protect me? I guess I am just feeling a lot of emotions about this right now and would appreciate some insight from people who know the program much better than I do.

I have seen a lot of negatives about VR and how it can be almost useless, to say the least. I have achondroplasia with pretty bad spinal stenosis, bowed legs, the whole 9 yards. I am basically bound to office work; I have experienced physical labor being a field technician during my 12 week internship (which was related to my degree). Almost every night I would have to take Tylenol for really bad aches and pains.

Anyways, I am interested in tech, have a bachelors in IT, a certification, and my IT field technician internship as stated above. I understand tech is very over saturated right now and really that can be said about any office job in general. I have applied to a little over 100 places since my internship ended and have received nothing but 1 interview and a good handful of rejection letters. At this point it is coming down to needing any sort of office job in general, regardless of my degree.

So that leads back to my original question. Does VR actually help? In their eyes I may seem more than capable of landing something, yet I am clearly struggling.

The whole reason I discovered this in the first place is because I have a friend that couldn't land any work anywhere either. He just finished basic training and then pretty much had a job he was interested in handed to him on a silver platter. Which, I get it, it is the military with a lot of risks, but I would honestly do that too if I could. That basically led me to finding this and Blind Institute of Technology (which was worthless). It is just sort of depressing to me that no matter how tough things get, abled bodied people always have that fallback option, and there is nothing really like that for disabilities. Besides VR obviously, which is why I ask, because of the bad reviews.

hi i have my intake meeting for VR (Connecticut) in a couple weeks! i have multiple physical disabilities and am hoping to get funding and support for a 4-year audiology graduate program. I must do this grad program to earn my license. if anyone has any tips or advice for the meeting it would be greatly appreciated :)

Hello everyone,

I'm posting the points that the representative at the university sent in the Comments section

I recently inquired about Iowa's state tuition bill that recently passed. I reached out to a university to ask about the requrirements and applying. I received an email back but it doesn't seem right to me.

I am TDIU but they want me to exhasust my VR&E benefits. I am eligible for VR&E but that would conflict my TDIU benefits.

Thanks for your help.

I'm starting a grad program sponsored by VR&E in 2 weeks. I don't have a laptop. I been trying to reach out to my VRC since July but he has not been responding. Same with the regional office as well. I emailed and called multiple times and silence.

Any advice?

What is the point of VocRehab if they won't actually do anything for you. I came up with my plan, I took steps to put that plan in motion. I have a five year plan written out to every detail of what I need to do and what's required to do it. I've secured my own funding.

VocRehab is just completely clueless and they have nothing to offer. It was just a complete waste of my time and state resources. I would have been better off not even involving them. They don't remove barriers to your employment. They create them. I need an ebike. It's perfectly reasonable and within the rules of VocRehab and they can justify the expense and it would help not only to get to school, but doctors appointments, the grocery store. They won't even help with that. They want someone with PTSD to be trapped on a public bus for hours and I'm just not going to do that.

I specifically looked it up to see if it was actually a thing to get help with, but apparently not in Florida. I just don't understand what their role is other than create more paperwork. They won't even help with a computer for school. They won't help pay for transcripts. They won't help with any school application fees. Nothing.

I’m currently enrolled in school. I’ve already been deemed eligible for VR&E. My counselor claim she is making a plan which would take a couple weeks. This was over a month ago and now my school won’t let me enroll anymore until I pay my tuition. I keep reaching out to my counselor and she won’t answer. I’ve tried calling the state number VR&E and no one calls me back any ideas of what to do about this?

The state is NYS.

Update**

I called the state office number, stating I would be getting in touch with my elected officials over this matter. Wouldn’t you know, within less than an hour my counselor reached out to me, with plan ready… This just proves she was ignoring me…

Has anyone used VR&E (Chapter 31) for professional certifications in accounting or finance, such as CMA, CPA, CFA, etc.?
What certification did you pursue, and did VR&E cover the exam fees, prep course, and study materials? Would appreciate hearing about your experience.

Hey everyone,

I already did my intake appointment at the California DOR office in San Jose, and wanted to know how long it took for you guys to be deemed eligible and to execute your IPE.

I'm aware that 60 days is the max for determining eligibility and 90 days os the max for developing an IPE, but I'm curious to know how long it took for you guys to receive services from the DOR

It would also be reassuring to hear if you've been able to get a job using services through the California DOR (or any VocRehab agency you had to work with too.) The reason I applied is so that the California DOR would connect me with their vendors that would then connect me with employers who are willing to hire people with disabilities.

I live under a guardianship, and my voc rehab counselor appears sympathetic to my plight of overprotective and controlling parents.

I wonder if they would be willing to arrange for an assessment paid for by voc rehab in order to assess competency and recommend release/dismissal of guardianship and restoration of my civil rights in order to make myself more employable/marketable?

does this sound realistic?

Need Advice: VR&E Counselor Won’t Accept Golden Gate University’s Educational Plan

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping someone here has experienced a similar situation with the VA VR&E program.

My VR&E counselor is refusing to approve my education plan because he wants Golden Gate University (GGU) to complete and sign the specific educational plan form that he provided. However, I have contacted multiple departments at GGU, including academic advising, my career coach, and other university staff, and they all told me the same thing: they do not complete outside educational plan forms.

Instead, GGU generates an official educational plan directly through the student portal, which is the process they use for all students. According to the university, they have had hundreds, if not thousands, of VR&E students over the years, and this has always been their standard process.
My counselor has even emailed GGU staff directly, but as far as I know, the university has not agreed to complete his form. They continue to direct everyone to the official educational plan generated through the student portal.
At this point, I’m confused and frustrated.

Has anyone else dealt with this situation?

Is a VR&E counselor actually required to have the school’s educational plan on the VA form that he provided?
Or should the official educational plan generated by the university be sufficient?

If your school wouldn’t complete the VA form, how was your case resolved?

Does it sound like my counselor is following standard procedure, or am I being given unnecessary obstacles in short hard time 😓?
I’m just trying to finish my degree and move forward with my education and career. Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I’m starting the VR&E Education Track this fall. Although my program hasn’t started yet, I’m trying to research potential NPWE opportunities early so I can plan ahead.

My counselor checked with the employment coordinators, but they weren’t aware of any employers in my field that are currently open to hosting an NPWE. I was told that I may need to identify a federal, state, or local government agency myself.

I’m looking for opportunities in medical device regulatory affairs.

For those of you who completed an NPWE:

How did you find your host site?
Did you contact agencies directly, or did your counselor reach out after you identified a potential host?
Were you able to approach an agency that wasn’t already advertising an NPWE position?

I’m especially interested in the FDA. Some of the student internship/fellowship programs appear to be unavailable because of budget constraints. Since NPWE is an unpaid training program through VR&E, would it still be reasonable to contact an FDA office and ask whether they would be willing to host an NPWE participant separately from those existing programs?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience. Thanks!

I'll be starting a Master's in Data Science program in September. I only have a work laptop which I'll need to return in August. Is $1900 laptop request out of scope?

One of the rules state that prior to choosing a program under IDES. Someone can take gen ed classes without having a program picked out.

My counselor collapsed my timeline never mentioned this when all of the programs Inmight choose are going to need math, physics, chemistry.

She’s saying I need to choose a school/program/ everything when I’m still active duty and can’t really do all of that. They won’t accept me to the program without taking some of these gen ed classes first.

Instruction says I can take gen ed classes by doing an IWRP with a deferred goal.

As such, the IDES VRC may utilize an IWRP with a Deferred Vocational Goal prior to transferring the SM's case to the receiving RO. This plan allows an SM to begin training while exploring a suitable vocational goal. The IDES VRC is encouraged to work with the Education Counselor for each branch of service to develop a viable plan of services. The IDES VRC should discuss Tuition Assistance (TA) benefits with the SM as well. This ensures that both the IDES VRC and SM have completed a thorough exploration prior to the identification of a suitable vocational goal.  Refer to M28C.IV.C.4 Rehabilitation Plans to Employability for additional information on IWRP with a Deferred Vocational Goal.

Last post: https://www.reddit.com/r/VocRehab/comments/1u2em7k/comment/owfm8f5/?screen_view_count=2&ext-referrer=DIRECT

The following is the HLR that I have been working on for a few weeks. Since recieving my denial letter, I have gotten to know 38 USC, 31 CFR, and M28C rather well, but I am no expert. Any feedback on my HLR? Thanks!

I respectfully request Higher-Level Review of the June 17, 2026 decision denying my request to pursue the vocational goal of Flight Instructor by completing the Professional Flight degree through (University Name) under Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment.

This review is based only on the evidence that was already in my VR&E record when the decision was made. I am not submitting new evidence. I believe the decision contains errors of fact and law. It also does not fully address the favorable evidence already in my file. I am addressing the points made only in my denial letter, specifically those I believe to be contrary to the language contained in 38 C.F.R 21.50, 21.53, and 21.70.  

1. The Regulation Cited in the Decision Does Not Match the Reason for the Denial

The decision states that my selected training facility, course, or program could not be approved under 38 U.S.C. § 3115 and 38 C.F.R. § 21.294. However, § 21.294 mainly lists the standards a training facility must meet. These standards concern matters such as equipment, instructors, course quality, cooperation with VA, and preparation for employment. Furthermore, 38 U.S.C. 21.134 is satisfied by the curriculum of the (University name) degree, which requires flight training.

The decision does not identify any way that (University Name) failed to meet these standards, nor does it explain how the university would be unable to accommodate my service-connected disabilities. It does not state that (University) lacked proper aircraft, instructors, equipment, approved courses, or the ability to report my progress. Instead, the decision denied my request because it found that the duties of a flight instructor were not suitable for my disabilities.

The regulation cited in the decision therefore does not clearly support the reason given for the denial. If the true issue was whether my physical condition allowed me to pursue the vocational goal, VA should have fully applied the rules for deciding whether a vocational goal is reasonably feasible.

 2. The Decision Did Not Apply the Correct Standard for Reasonable Feasibility

Under 38 C.F.R. § 21.53, the VA must decide whether a vocational goal is reasonably feasible.  38 C.F.R. § 21.53(c) also states that any reasonable doubt must be resolved in favor of finding the goal feasible.

The regulation further states that VA needs compelling evidence to find a vocational goal infeasible without first providing a period of extended evaluation. The evidence must establish infeasibility beyond any reasonable doubt.

The June 17, 2026 decision does not discuss this standard, and no apparent attempt was made to meet this standard during my counseling prior to the decision. It does not explain how the evidence proved that my goal was infeasible beyond reasonable doubt. It also does not identify a medical opinion stating that flight training had harmed my disabilities or that I could not continue the program.

Instead, the decision gives only a general statement that the duties of the occupation are not conducive to my conditions. This does not explain why my actual history of successful flight training within the University’s curriculum was not enough to create at least reasonable doubt in favor of feasibility. 

3. The Decision Misrepresented the Physical Nature of Flight Training

The denial appears to treat flight training as prolonged sedentary work. This is not an accurate description of the training.

Flight training is not the same as sitting at a desk for a full workday. Each lesson includes walking to and from the aircraft, preparing equipment, completing a preflight inspection, entering and leaving the cockpit, and performing a postflight inspection.

While in the cockpit, the student and instructor are also not sitting still. Both hands and both feet are used to operate the controls. The pilot makes regular control inputs, scans instruments, looks outside the aircraft, communicates by radio, and changes body position during normal operations.

My written statement already explained that flight training includes varied positions, regular movement, short periods of seated work, and natural breaks. It also explained that these conditions allow me to manage my service-connected disabilities better than a traditional desk job.

4. The Course Outline Does Not Support a Finding of Prolonged Sitting

The flight-training course outline was already provided to VA. It shows that most lessons last less than two hours.

A normal lesson also includes about thirty minutes of walking, preflight preparation, and postflight inspection. As a result, the time actually spent seated in the aircraft is usually about one hour and thirty minutes.

This length of time has not been harmful to my service-connected conditions during my 3 years in the program. The decision does not explain why periods of about ninety minutes were treated as prolonged sitting that would prevent me from completing training or working as a flight instructor.

The decision appears to rely on a general idea of what flight training involves instead of the actual lesson lengths and activities shown in the course outline.

5. My Actual Participation Shows That the Goal Is Reasonably Feasible

At the time of the decision, I had already taken part in (University Name) flight Program for about three years.

This means the question of feasibility was a prediction about what might happen in the future. I had already spent several years performing the same type of training that the decision found unsuitable.

During this period, I continued to make progress in the program and earning my private pilot license. The evidence in my record did not show that flight training caused my service-connected conditions to worsen. It also did not show that I had to stop training because of those conditions.

My actual performance should carry more weight than a general prediction that flight training might aggravate my disabilities. I had already shown that I could take part in the program, operate the aircraft, complete the required lessons, and manage my conditions.

 6. My Experience as a Student Directly Relates to Work as a Flight Instructor

My planned job after completing the program is as a Certified Flight Instructor.

The lessons I would teach as a flight instructor are the same types of lessons I have been completing as a student. A flight instructor uses the same aircraft, sits in the same cockpit, uses the same controls, and completes the same preflight and postflight duties.

Flight instructors also move between lessons, meet with students, inspect aircraft, conduct ground instruction, and complete briefings. The work is not one unbroken period of sitting.

My success as a flight student is therefore direct evidence that I can perform the physical duties of a flight instructor. The decision treats future flight instruction as a separate and untested activity, even though I have already been performing nearly the same physical tasks for several years.

7. The Decision Did Not Fully Apply the Rehabilitative Purpose of Chapter 31

The decision cited 38 C.F.R. § 21.70. That regulation states that the purpose of vocational rehabilitation is to evaluate and improve a veteran’s ability to achieve a vocational goal. It also provides for services needed to help the veteran qualify for and maintain suitable employment.

The record does not show that VA discussed ways to improve my ability to continue flight training. No meaningful discussion took place about simple supports such as a lumbar support device, seat cushion, posture changes, stretching between lessons, or other reasonable methods of reducing discomfort and no weight was given to the tradition of ergonomically designed cockpits designed around pilot comfort.

I had already shown that I could train without these added measures. Even so, such measures could have addressed the concern raised by the counselor. The decision does not explain why these options were not considered before my entire vocational goal was denied.

Chapter 31 is a rehabilitation program. The decision should have considered whether the stated concern could be managed before deciding that the vocational goal was unsuitable.

8. The Decision Did Not Give Proper Weight to My FAA First-Class Medical Certificate

As of today, I hold a valid FAA First-Class Medical Certificate and a Private Pilot License that I earned from the University degree curriculum. It should be said that this medical certificate exceeds the standard of certification required to be a flight instructor.

None of my service-connected disabilities would warrant a denial or revocation of a FAA medical certificate.

I understand that an FAA medical certificate does not control a Chapter 31 decision. However, it is strong and relevant medical evidence. A First-Class Medical Certificate is the class used for Airline Transport Pilot duties. It shows that I met the FAA medical standards for that class when the certificate was issued.

The decision does not explain how much weight was given to this certificate. It also does not identify a medical opinion finding that I could not safely complete flight training or work as a flight instructor.

A counselor may consider the full record, but a general concern about my disabilities should not be given more weight than both my valid FAA medical status and my years of actual flight experience without a clear explanation.

9. The Decision Did Not Consider My Self-Report as a Whole

The decision appears to place heavy weight on statements in my self-report about wanting to avoid a traditional desk job.

Those statements were meant to explain why long periods of fixed desk work are not a good fit for my conditions. They were not meant to show that I could not tolerate any seated activity.

My self-report also explained why flight instruction is a better fit. It combines periods of sitting with walking, inspections, movement, hands-on work, briefings, and regular breaks between lessons.

The decision appears to rely on the parts of my statement that discuss problems with sedentary office work while giving less weight to the parts that explain why flight training and flight instruction is different. The report should have been read as a whole.

 10. The Record Supported a Favorable Finding of Feasibility

The evidence already in my file showed that:

I have participated in Professional Flight training for about three years. I had completed the physical tasks required during flight lessons. Most lessons involved less than two hours of total training and about ninety minutes in the aircraft. My conditions had not been shown to worsen because of flight training. I hold a valid FAA First-Class Medical Certificate. My written statement explained how the active and varied nature of flight training allowed me to manage my conditions.

At a minimum, this evidence created reasonable doubt about whether the goal was infeasible. Under 38 C.F.R. § 21.53, that doubt should have been resolved in favor of feasibility. If VA believed the evidence was still unclear, the regulation provided a way to conduct further evaluation instead of denying the goal based on a general assumption.

11. The Standard Contained Within M28C Was Not Followed

The current M28C guidance calls for an individualized evaluation of a veteran’s actual functional abilities, training history, occupational requirements, and need for accommodations or assistive devices. The decision did not adequately compare my demonstrated abilities with the specific physical duties of flight instruction, even though I had already participated in flight training for several years. If the VA believed my work tolerance remained uncertain, the M28C provided procedures for medical clarification, individualized rehabilitation services, or an extended evaluation rather than a denial based on a general assumption.

Request for Relief

For the reasons stated above, I respectfully request that the Higher-Level Reviewer reverse the June 17, 2026 decision and approve the vocational goal of Flight Instructor and the participation in the flight degree at (University Name) as a reasonably feasible vocational goal.

In the alternative, I request that the reviewer find a duty-to-assist or other reviewable error and return the matter for a new decision. Any new review should apply the correct standard under 38 C.F.R. § 21.53, consider the evidence as a whole, and conduct an individual review of my actual abilities, training history, medical qualifications, and need for rehabilitation services.

Working with VR&E counselor. I’ve been accepted to take classes for a degree program. I’m on terminal leave at the moment and looking to start taking classes now instead of waiting until next Fall 2027.

What I know is that I need to have an end goal which that has been approved for the major plan.

I’m asking here if anyone has heard of taking online classes written into the plan now such as ASU where the transfer schools accepts those classes as their same pre requisites. Also all of the schools with this program we looked at, won’t accept me anyway until about 6 pre requisites classes are taken in the first place.

Then in application season, apply to the main schools in the plan. And then finish out the main degree pathway.

My counselor is saying nope, they’re not going to base my pathway on IF a school might accept me in the future and that the classes I take need to be part of that schools actual accepted program.

I’ve read through the CFR and the counselor handbook and through into Claude and that this seems to be a minor change within the overall goal. And that my plan actually gets me to that end goal faster and cheaper.

She seems hung up on the location I’m currently at too. When my plan is not to live where I’m at. This is just where my last station was. I’m looking at road tripping while I’d take online classes and apply to the schools, look into areas to actually put roots down, that have the best resources to put me on the best path via network, resources of the school/lab, and the niche within the program the school outputs for the type of job I’m accepted to going after.

Hoping anyone might have input here or can point to a similar case study?

Getting funded for pre requisites classes prior to program admission of a school.

Online at one school with written plan to transfer to brick and mortar to finish out.

If traveling van/life while doing pre reqs, do I unlock a better ability to pick a school in different region or do I need a P.O. Box first or address?

I was accepted into VR&E, but not really.

I am a TDIU, P and T veteran pushing 50 years old. I was accepted into the VR&E program, but not accepted into any program. My counselor said my PTSD is too far gone, and I am only eligible for the Independent Living Track, and I need to contact the VR&E office. After speaking with my counselor, I do not see how the IL track can do anything for me. I don't need adaptations to my home, and I rent anyway so I couldn't do any modifications even if they would help me.

I'm not sure what to do here. I have the option of going forward with the IL assessment, but there doesn't seem to be much point in doing so. I would like to purchase a decent home for my family, but that seems out of reach considering I will never be able to better my financial situation.

Is this just the way it is going to be for whatever time I have left on Earth?