Updated note: VRAP was a temporary program and is no longer accepting new applicants. This page is kept for historical reference, with current alternatives below.
The Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP) was a temporary program authorized under the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, offering up to 12 months of training assistance to unemployed veterans generally between the ages of 35 and 60 who weren't eligible for other VA education benefits. It ran from roughly mid-2012 through March 2014, with a capped number of participants, and was never intended as a permanent program.
What to use now
- Post-9/11 GI Bill — the primary ongoing education benefit for eligible veterans. See our GI Bill overview.
- VA Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E, "Chapter 31") — for veterans with a service-connected disability that creates an employment barrier.
- State and local workforce programs — many states run their own veteran-specific job training and placement programs worth checking alongside federal options.
Confirm current program details at VA.gov.