VA VR&E Chapter 31 Self-Employment Track
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E)
Eligibility
Veterans with a VA service-connected disability rating of at least 10% (or 20% with an employment handicap) who have an honorable or other-than-dishonorable discharge. Must be found entitled to VR&E services and must have self-employment identified as the appropriate rehabilitation path by a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC). Not open to all veterans with a rating: your VRC determines whether self-employment is a suitable track for you.
Award
VA-funded startup support that can include business plan development assistance, essential equipment and tools, initial inventory or supplies, licensing and permit fees, and marketing materials. Amounts are case-by-case and set inside your Individualized Written Rehabilitation Plan (IWRP). Not a cash grant paid to you; VA typically pays vendors directly.
Deadlines
Rolling (apply any time you are eligible) · Rolling. Apply for VR&E via VA Form 28-1900 through VA.gov or eBenefits.
Editor's take
Service-disabled veterans (10%+ rating) whose disability makes traditional employment difficult and who have a specific, realistic business concept. Strongest for skilled-trade, services, and consulting businesses with clear revenue paths. This is the single most under-used funding source for disabled veteran founders.
You have no service-connected disability rating. You want passive income or a speculative venture. Your VRC will not approve self-employment for a business plan that cannot show a realistic path to supporting you. Also skip if you need money fast; the process runs months, not weeks.
VA Form 28-1900 (application for VR&E). Disability rating documentation. A realistic written business concept with market research, startup cost breakdown, and a revenue path. Be ready to explain why self-employment fits your disability and skills better than conventional employment. Bring a draft business plan to your first VRC meeting; showing up prepared materially changes the outcome.
VR&E (formerly Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, sometimes still called Voc Rehab or Chapter 31) has five tracks. Self-Employment is one of them, alongside Rapid Access to Employment, Employment Through Long-Term Services, Reemployment, and Independent Living. The self-employment track is the least known and most under-used. Many eligible disabled veterans never learn it exists because VR&E counselors default to employment placement. You often have to ask for it by name. Process: apply with VA Form 28-1900, get an entitlement determination, meet with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, and if self-employment is approved you build an Individualized Written Rehabilitation Plan (IWRP) together. VA may fund business plan development, equipment, initial inventory, licensing, and marketing. Funding is not a lump-sum cash grant; VA generally pays vendors directly against the approved plan. Editorial: your VBOC counselor can help you prepare the business plan VA requires, at no cost. Do that before your VRC meeting. The veterans who get approved show up with a real plan; the ones who get declined show up with an idea.
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