Last updated: September 2026
The GI Bill covers a lot, but it doesn't always cover everything. Rent goes up, the car breaks down, or your housing allowance doesn't stretch as far as you hoped. A lot of student veterans pick up a part-time job to fill the gap. Before you apply at the coffee shop, look at VA Work-Study.
VA Work-Study pays you to do part-time work related to VA, such as helping other student veterans in your school's veteran office or supporting staff at a VA medical center. It's paid on top of your GI Bill or other VA education benefit. It doesn't use any of your entitlement, and it doesn't reduce your housing allowance.
It's also one of the least-known benefits VA offers. Here's how it works, who qualifies, and how to get a spot.
Who Qualifies
To take part, you need to be receiving benefits under one of these VA education programs: the Post-9/11 GI Bill (including the Fry Scholarship), the Montgomery GI Bill (Active Duty or Selected Reserve), Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E), DEA (Chapter 35), VEAP, or the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship.
You also need to be enrolled at least three-quarter time in a college degree, vocational, or professional program. For many undergraduate programs on a semester system, that means at least 9 credits when full-time is 12. Your school's certifying official can confirm what counts as three-quarter time for your program.
Being eligible doesn't guarantee you a job. VA Work-Study positions are limited, and when there are more applicants than openings, sites look at several factors. Veterans with service-connected disability ratings of 30% or more get priority and must be hired before other applicants whenever possible. Sites also consider financial need, whether you have reliable transportation to the work site, and your motivation. They also consider whether the hours would hurt your studies.
One more limit: if you're a federal employee, or if you're doing a VA internship while using VA education benefits, you can't do work-study at a VA facility at the same time.
How Much You Can Earn
VA pays you the federal minimum wage or your state's minimum wage, whichever is higher, based on where your work site is. The federal minimum is $7.25 an hour. Here in Washington, the state minimum wage for 2026 is $17.13 an hour, the highest in the country. If your state raises its minimum wage in the middle of your contract, VA automatically pays the new rate for hours worked after the change.
Note that VA uses the state rate, not a city rate. If you work in a city with a higher local minimum wage, like Seattle, VA still pays the state rate. If you work at a school, though, the school is allowed to pay you the difference between VA's rate and what it normally pays other student workers doing the same job.
Your total hours are capped at 25 times the number of weeks in your enrollment period. For a 15-week semester, that's up to 375 hours. Contracts are written at roughly 25 hours a week, but there's no daily or weekly limit. When and how much you work each week is up to you and your site, as long as you stay within your contract's total. If your program runs year-round, the limit is 1,300 hours in any 12-month period. You don't get overtime pay.
Here's what a full semester could look like:
| Hourly rate | Hours (15-week semester, max) | Total for the semester |
|---|---|---|
| $7.25 (federal minimum) | 375 | $2,718.75 |
| $17.13 (Washington, 2026) | 375 | $6,423.75 |
Your actual total depends on how many hours your contract approves and how many you work. Not every site will have 25 hours a week for you.
Is it taxable?
This is one of the most common questions, and you'll find wrong answers online. VA's own Work-Study Site Supervisor Handbook describes work-study as a non-taxable allowance. It says the earnings aren't considered income. That fits the law, which treats work-study as an additional educational assistance allowance, and IRS rules that say VA education payments are tax-free. Tax situations vary, so if you have questions about your own return, check with a tax professional.
How You Get Paid
Your site supervisor keeps your time record and submits it to VA. Supervisors send it in each time you complete 50 hours or every two weeks, whichever comes first. You can also ask to be paid monthly instead. Once VA processes it and sends payment to the Treasury, direct deposit usually arrives within 3 to 5 business days. Payments go to the same account as your other VA education benefits.
If you need money up front, you can ask for an advance payment when you apply. The advance covers 50 hours of work, and you then work those hours off. You have to complete them within 60 days of starting your contract, or VA can create a debt for the balance.
Where You Can Work
All VA Work-Study jobs have to be related to VA. Here's where you'll usually find them:
Your school's veteran office. This is the most common spot. You might answer questions about VA benefits, share benefits information, or keep veteran files organized. Mentoring and tutoring aren't allowed duties at schools.
VA facilities. At VA medical centers, clinics, regional offices, and national cemeteries, you can do almost any VA-related task. VA facilities are the only sites where work-study students can be approved to drive, such as shuttling veterans to appointments.
Other approved sites. These include state veterans cemeteries, State Approving Agencies, state veterans homes, congressional offices helping veterans with VA benefits, and some other organizations that do outreach on VA benefits. If you're using the Montgomery GI Bill–Selected Reserve, you may also work at a Defense Department, Coast Guard, or National Guard facility doing work related to those benefits.
Remote work is possible, but only if your site agrees to it and can still supervise you.
How to Apply
The order of steps matters here, because you apply for a specific job, not the program in general.
Find an approved work site with an opening. Start with your school's veteran office. You can also call VA's education line at 888-442-4551 and ask for a list of approved work sites near you. If you're in VR&E, ask your counselor.
Get the site supervisor to agree to hire you. VA won't approve a contract without a site willing to take you on.
Fill out VA Form 22-8691, Application for Work-Study Allowance. List the work site and supervisor's name in the "Work Site Preference" section. Check the box if you want an advance payment. Your supervisor can submit it to VA for you.
Make sure your school has certified your enrollment. VA can't approve your contract until it can see you're enrolled at least three-quarter time.
Sign your contract, then start working. VA sends a contract packet to your supervisor. It lists the maximum hours and the dates you can work. Don't work a single hour before your contract is approved and your start date arrives, because VA won't pay for it.
You can apply up to 45 days before your term starts, and in some cases you can begin working up to 30 days before classes start. Processing usually takes 5 to 10 business days. Apply early, especially before fall term, when everyone else is applying too. You'll need a new application once a year, or any time you change benefits or work sites.
Rules to Know Before You Start
Work-study has a few rules that can create a VA debt if you're not careful.
If you drop below three-quarter time, you may be allowed to finish your current contract, but talk to your supervisor and VA first. If you withdraw from school completely, VA only pays you through the end of the month you withdrew. Work past that, and you'll owe the money back. Tell your supervisor and VA right away if your enrollment changes.
Only work within your contract. Hours before your start date, after your end date, or beyond your approved total won't be paid. When your contract ends, any hours you didn't work are gone unless your supervisor requests a short extension.
For most purposes, you're not considered a federal employee while you're doing work-study. The exception is injuries. If you're hurt on the job, you're covered by federal workers' compensation. Report the injury to your supervisor and file within 30 days.
If you already owe VA an education debt, there's a version of work-study that applies your earnings to that debt instead. You don't even have to be in school to use it, though you can't get an advance payment.
Making It Worth More Than a Paycheck
The money is the main draw, but work-study can also help your career. Working in a veteran office or VA facility teaches you how benefits systems work from the inside. You'll pick up skills in customer service, records management, and dealing with confidential information. You'll also meet VA employees, school staff, and other veterans who can become references or point you toward jobs.
Keep notes as you go. Write down what you handled, how many people you helped, and any problems you solved. That makes it much easier to turn your work-study job into strong resume lines later. My post on translating military skills for your civilian resume covers how to write those.
Just keep school first. Your GI Bill depends on your enrollment and progress, and work-study depends on your GI Bill. If your hours start hurting your grades, cut back. Your site should understand, and VA's own selection rules say work-study shouldn't get in the way of your education.
Other Benefits Worth Pairing With Work-Study
Work-study is one piece of a bigger picture. If you're struggling in a required class, VA's tutorial assistance can pay up to $100 a month for a tutor without using your Post-9/11 entitlement. If you're trying to make sense of your housing allowance and how your class load affects it, see my GI Bill housing allowance post. For a broader look at support on campus, read my post on campus resources for student veterans.
If you have a service-connected rating, look into VR&E too. I earned my psychology degree at the University of Montana through VR&E, and it covered my tuition, a laptop, and statistics software. VR&E students can also do work-study.
Conclusion
The VA Work Study Program represents an incredible opportunity that too many veterans overlook. By earning money while using your GI Bill benefits, you're investing in your future career success. TVA Work-Study won't make you rich, but it's steady, flexible, tax-free money from a job that understands you're a student first. The spots go fast, so start asking about openings before the term begins.
Want to get the most out of your education benefits? Your GI Bill is too valuable to leave to guesswork. Schedule a free consultation to talk through your school and training plans.