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Vocational Rehabilitation


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Fellow Vets,

I am starting PA school in August. I just received my disability rating (50%) last week. I remember reading a post on the forum about vocational rehabilitation. As soon as I got my rating, I applied for the program through the Ebenefits webpage. I'm ignorant to the voc rehab process. The website states that the VA will be contacting me if I'm eligible.

My questions:

1. What happens next in this process?

2. Is the voc rehab better than the post 9/11?

3. How long of a process is it for voc rehab to be processed after you submit? I start school in August. If I'm eligible, would I be able to use it if I get signed up half way through my first semester?

4. Does using vocational rehab use months on your gi bill?

5. Is this program even for me? I already know the career I want. Is this more for people who need career counseling?

 

I keep calling the vocational rehab office near me but it goes to voicemail.

Any answers or advice is much appreciated!

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Normally the process takes quite a while.

 

What happens next- you say you're interested in Voc rehab and then they send you a letter with your appt date to meet a counselor. You may have to call a few times to make sure everything is on track. During your appt they tell you all the benefits you're entitled to and then you sit down with your counselor. The counselor will look at the score you received on the test they have you take online prior to your appt (so do well on it and don't blow it off). Then the counselor decides what is best for you. My recommendation is to bring in everything you can to support why you want to go the PA route. They want to see that you will be able to get a job when you get out. They also need to see that you can't do your current job because of your injury.

 

Is voc rehab better than post 9/11- what is best is if you have at least one month left on post 9/11 and then transfer to voc rehab (loop hole no one will tell you about until you're signed up). With that scenario you will get all post 9/11 benefits plus more (books, supplies, parking pass)

 

How long is the process?- it usually takes much longer than a month. If I were you I would walk into the office and ask them if it's possible. I'm not sure if they can do it if you're already in a program. It would definitely be worth it for you to find out before you start!

 

You will have to exhaust all benefits and then start voc rehab, but as I said earlier make sure they approve you for voc rehab PRIOR to exhausting the post 9/11 on your own.

 

Is this program for you? Normally this is for people who got a service connected injury and can no longer do their job so they pay to retrain you into a job you can do. With that being said it is COMPLETELY up to the voc counselor you see that day.

 

It is extremely hard to get a hold of them. If you know where the office is it would be in your best interest to walk in.

 

Good luck!

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You will have to exhaust all benefits and then start voc rehab, but as I said earlier make sure they approve you for voc rehab PRIOR to exhausting the post 9/11 on your own.

 

 

 

That's not exactly how it works.  There is generally a max of 48 months of educational benefits regardless of which program one is using.  If he qualified for voc rehab and used that for PA school(let's say 27 months), then he should have 21 months left to be used via the GI bill.

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I think a big part of getting accepted into voc rehab is dependent on the counselor. In California the counselor was all about providing me with whatever I needed to enter whatever program I wanted (was looking at radiology, nursing and pa). The oregon guy said he wouldn't approve anything more than entry level training like CNA school.

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  • 1 month later...

I just heard from my Voc Rehab counselor Monday that I have been approved to attend PA school through Voc Rehab.  I got accepted back in the middle of June and it has taken this long to get the approval and I was already in Voc Rehab.  Since PA school is so expensive it is a management level approval.

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