Who Is Eligible For The WS Program?

 ·       To receive WS benefits a student must receive VA education benefits as authorized under one of the following:

 ·       Title 38 USC, Chapters 30, 31, 32, or 35

 ·       Title 10 USC, Chapter 1606

 ·       In addition, the student must attend school and receive benefits at the ¾ time or full time rate.

 What Type Of Work Can A WS Do?

 ·       Students must be assigned to worksites that will permit them to perform VA related activities. These include, but are not limited to, VA Regional Offices, VA Medical Centers, Vet Centers, VA Outpatient Clinics, National Cemeteries, and local education institutions.

 If assigned to a non-VA work-site, the student’s primary employment responsibilities must be to perform VA related outreach assignments.

Note: Students receiving benefits under Chapter 1606 can work in activities related to the administration of the Chapter 1606 program at Department of Defense facilities.

How Does A Student Apply For The WS Program?

 ·       The student should contact their preferred worksite supervisor to determine if there is an opening for a WS, and if the supervisor will hire the student. If the student is unaware of worksite locations, contact the Regional Processing Office (RPO) Work-Study Unit (WSU) for worksites in their area.  The WSU will provide the names and phone numbers of local worksites and supervisors to contact.  If the worksite supervisor would like to hire the applicant as a WS, fax a completed VA Form 22-8691, Application for Work-Study Allowance, to the RPO WSU at (314) 552-9533. Please also identify the supervisor’s name and phone number in block #12 on the application.

·       Worksites and schools should have a supply of these forms on hand. Contact the RPO WSU if you need additional forms. These forms will also be mailed directly to a student upon request or given at the time of a personal interview.

What Happens To The Application? 

·       The WSU views the VA'ss computer system to verify that the student is receiving VA education benefits at the ¾ or full time rate. The possible findings are: 

1. Current Enrollment at the ¾ or full time rate.

          a. The WSU enters the applicant’s information into the WS Management System, which will generate VA Form 22-8692, Student Work-Study Agreement (Student Services).  We no longer want you to submit VA Form 22-8692, Student Work-Study Agreement (Student Services), with the application.

b. The WSU will fax the agreement to the worksite for the student’s signature with instructions to fax it back to the WSU and when the student may begin work. 

c. The WSU will process the returned signed agreement. (Processing the agreement means that the WS system will generate a VA Form 22-8690, Time Record (Work-Study Program), and formal letters of notification for the supervisor and student.) If applicable, advance payment is also made at this time.

           d. The WSU will mail the supervisor a formal letter of notification, a time record, and a copy of the completed signed agreement. The student will receive a formal letter of notification and a copy of the completed signed agreement.

2. System Does Not Indicate Benefits for a Particular Term.

     a.  Claims folders and the VA computer system are checked for possible pending certification.

     b.  If the certification is not pending, the WSU will contact the school and ask the Certifying Official to fax the certification directly to the WSU. We will then refer it to the appropriate unit for priority processing. For non-Missouri Chapter 31 claims, we will fax the certification to the appropriate VA Regional Office Vocational Rehabilitation and Counseling office for priority processing. 

     c.  The WSU will then follow steps b through d in # 1 above. 

The length of the agreement is based on the award period in the VA computer system.

 If a student is not eligible for the WS program, the WSU will send a letter of denial to the student specifically stating the reason for denial.

 Does A Student Have To Send A WS Application In For Every Term?

We are currently requesting that instead of calling for an extension, please have the student fax and application – we will determine if there should be an extension or a new agreement.  By submitting an application for each term, we hope to decrease telephone calls and therefore, have less interruptions especially during peak processing times. 

What Are My Responsibilities as a WS Supervisor?

A WS supervisor is responsible for:

·       Insuring the student is trained to do the work.

·       Insuring the student does not work before the start date or after the end date (Time Record - block #4A and #4 -see attachment.)

·       Insuring the student does not work more than the total hours (Time Record – block #5 - see attachment).

·       Initialing new entries on the Time Record each day the student works.

·       Confirming cumulative totals are correct for each submitted Time Record. To avoid errors in addition, please record in increments of 15 minutes.

·       Faxing time records to the WSU in 50 hour increments (preferred). Insure the entries are legible and are in dark print. Please do not fax or send duplicate Time Records. You no longer have to submit the original Time Record.

·       Annotate on the last Time Record "Final Time Record." Please notify the WSU immediately when an agreement is terminated. Please include any comments in the "Remarks" section.

·       Reporting any changes in the worksite’s address, phone or fax number, or supervisor to the WSU immediately.

We do recommend that you make a copy of the original Time Record since it is only a one-sided form and can easily be filled before the end of an agreement.  A sample Time Record is attached.  Following all of the above responsibilities will allow the WSU to provide the best service, and will decrease telephone calls needed to verify information or request corrections.

How Does The WSU Process A Time Record?

To process a Time Record, the WSU will do the following:

·       Verify compliance with start and end dates and maximum hours of the agreement.

·       Verify that each entry is initialed.

·       Re-compute the cumulative total.

·       Check the VA computer system to confirm the student is still training at the ¾ or full time rate.

·       It’s very important that you follow your responsibilities as a supervisor because if there are any discrepancies, the WSU will contact you and/or the student for clarification which only causes delays in processing.

Where Do I Go For Help?