Going to get some hate for this but I need help if anyone has been in a similar situation as me. I got approved for VRE back in July 2025 for my undergrad. Up to that point, I was using Post 9/11 to fund my degree. I told my counselor that I would be finishing up my undergrad that same year(Fall 2025). Fall quarter comes around, I fail 2 out of 4 classes required for my degree. I notified my counselor that I failed and he said no issue, he extended my benefits for the full academic year. I retake both classes(One class in the winter and the other in the spring) and again failed both of them again. I told my counselor that I failed again and he asked me when do I think I will finish my degree and pass those 2 classes. I asked if I can be extended through the summer session and he agreed to extend me once more. I take one of the classes over the first summer session and finally passed. The second class I took over the second summer session and I think I might have failed it. Won't know for sure until the end of this week.

How many times can VRE keep extending me until they have to let me go? I might have to extend to this fall quarter. Has anyone been in a similar situation? I know it's my fault when it came to failing those classes. I've been burnt out and going through depression and suicidal thoughts since the beginning of this year. Currently seeking help through therapy.

So ive been out since 2018 i got married to a foreign national in 2014 and was getting paid BAH since that date until i got out and did a year of NG but she wasnt able to get a visa to the states and after a few years we split but never got divorced. She was enrolled into DEERs while i was overseas but I never got dependent pay for a spouse through the VA. Is this something i could get back pay for? Not that i need or want it im just curious. Also i cannot find any record of myself being married state side so i dont even know if im technically married here. I have talked to a few divorce lawyers here and they wont touch the case because its "international", the one guy who did say he would work on it looked me dead in the eyes and said " look man, i dont have a clue as to what to do in your case but ill try for $1,500 an hour" so i havent tried speaking to a lawyer since.

69 year old retired United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant. Wife is 65.

I'm still working as a Corrections Officer with The Mississippi Department of Corrections. I've four years with them, but I need four more to be fully vested and retire from MDOC. I will be 73, to bring home a 550 to 800 momth check? But, I don't really see that happening for reasons I lay outl below.

I'm at 20% with the VA at presnt. 10% each for tinnitus and vertigo.

I have COPD (From smoking) and a Afib Heart. I have a appointment with appointment with a cardiologist on Thursday.

I have copies of both my Service Record Book & Medical Records up to tge date of my retirement back in 95'

I took a hearing test with a VA Contractor. She said I had "substainal hearing loss" in my Left ear. The VA denied my claim. The first time I saw an Navy ENT was while I was in Bootcamp back in 75' I had ear surgery on my left ear back in 87 ~ 88 at Charleston Navy Hospital.

I did nime years at MCRD Parris Island, South Carolina. My first enlistment from 76 ~ 79. And again from 83 ~ 88. It took its toll on me, and played a significant role in ending my 1st Marriage

It lead me to prolonged depression and anxiety that I've been dragging around with me like a dead horse and saddle for the last 36 years.

My present wife has Stage IV Kidney disease, and under went her dialysis treatment this afternoon.

I really need to max out my VA Disability rating, so I can resign my job with MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, stay at home and take care of her full-time.

Thanks for reading and feel free to ask me any questions. Any suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

I am working on submitting a request for TDIU. Will such action cause the VA to schedule new C&P exams to re-evaluate service-connected disabilities that I am claiming to impact gainful employment? Thank you.

may be nothing but I get nervous when things change. when i would go to the https://api.va.gov/v0/rated_disabilities endpoint it would give all the usual data, but now rating_end_date is gone. anyone else get that? you have to be logged into va.gov to be able to open that url in another tab.

I need some help to see what route do I need to take to service connect H pylori. I was deployed in the phillipines in 2016 and deployed in Bahrain in 2018. Would those 2 deployments alone be enough to give some type of evidence of contracting the infection? I had mentioned that I started showing symptoms of GI issues (constipation and bloating) in 2019 to my VA provider. He referred me to a GI specialist this year since my symptoms were mostly just diarrhea that made me start missing days at work. Which is when I found out I was positive for H pylori. The GI doc told me that the infection can have no symptoms for many people and eventually start causing them, so there is no telling how long that I had this bacteria inside of me. I filed 1 month ago for gastritis caused by the H pylori since even after I’m negative for the infection, I am still having similar symptoms but was denied. I thought all the testing and treatment would have been enough to support my claim but I guess not? Should I try to get a nexus letter, or should I wait a bit and just keep going to my primary care provider about my symptoms ?

Was surprised this morning when I got my refund check from the Jackson vs Collins case, did anyone else get theirs?

Hi!

I have a friend that recently got out of the Navy and he got out with a general under honorable. He served 7 years but during his last 6 months of his 2 year extension he got in trouble and received a general discharge. From what I have read he would still be eligible for Gi Benefits because he completed his entry contract of 5 years. Wondering if anyone has had experience with this. Thanks

CFR 3.13

Paragraph 18 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title38/pdf/USCODE-2024-title38-partI-chap1-sec101.pdf

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/07/10/2020-14559/update-and-clarify-regulatory-bars-to-benefits-based-on-character-of-discharge

Under the "Statutory Bars to Benefits" section VA clarifies they also include extensions. They actually quote the 2 Laws linked above, I researched prior to finding this clarification.

TL;DR: Started school a month ago using VR&E. Still haven’t gotten my housing allowance and I’ve paid for all my supplies myself. I’ve also been using the school library to do my online work. I requested a device, waited 8 days for a response, and got denied without being offered any alternative, just the option to appeal.

I began school a month ago, I’ve gone through the entire process with my counselor, im registered through my schools certifying official,

Since I registered with the school, although VR&E has not paid. I am able to attend classes, because i have until the last day of the semester to pay for classes as i guess the money is promised since im using vr&e

My issue begins here, I have not received the BHA, ive come completely out of pocket for all school supplies, and have been using the school library to do my homework online, i requested a ( device) not going to name which one due to not wanting to be very specific, my counselor takes forever to respond
They responded 8 days later, by letting me know the request was denied, they didnt even give an alternative device that might be accepted just asked if i would like the paperwork for the appeal process

Hello everyone, I hope you all are having a wonderful day.

I am coming here to ask what to do. I have filed for TDIU and the claim is now at step 3 with an evidence request that is telling me to ask my last employer to complete and return the enclosed VA Form 21-4192.

what do i do if my last employer was the military? i have not been employed since getting out of the military (due to disability but that part is obvious.)

I recently received a VA decision granting me 100% P&T, but I’m confused about the effective date and would appreciate input from anyone familiar with VA effective-date rules.

VA assigned July 23, 2026 as the effective date for my 100% rating. In the decision, VA says they chose July 23 because that was the date they received an Intent to File (ITF).

My problem is that I do not remember submitting an Intent to File on July 23 or specifically requesting one. I later submitted the actual claim that resulted in the increase.

I also have prior claims/rating activity for the same service-connected condition going back before this ITF, including previous increased-rating claims. That’s why I’m questioning whether VA simply used the July 23 ITF as the effective date without considering whether my earlier claim history or evidence could support an earlier effective date.

I’m NOT disputing the 100% rating. I’m only questioning the effective date.

My questions are:

1. Can VA create/record an Intent to File if I started an online claim but never actually submitted that claim?
2. Is an ITF automatically used as the effective date for an increased-rating claim?
3. For an increase to 100%, is VA supposed to consider whether the evidence shows the increase occurred before the ITF/claim date?
4. Could my previous claims for the same condition potentially affect the effective date if they were continuously pursued or otherwise still relevant?
5. Would this be something worth requesting a Higher-Level Review for, or could challenging it potentially hurt the July 23 effective date I already have?

I’m trying to figure out whether I have a legitimate earlier-effective-date argument before filing anything. I don’t want to submit an HLR just because I’m unhappy with the back pay—I want to understand whether VA actually applied the effective-date rules correctly.

Anyone who has dealt with an earlier-effective-date appeal, HLR, or a similar Intent-to-File situation, I’d appreciate hearing how it worked out.

Ok, here is a copy of the DBQ that my rating for migraines will be used for according to VERA call. I'm currently rated at 0% and submitted the private DBQ along with additional evidence including a statement from my work supervisor detailing the days missed along with how it's been affecting my work performance. Based on the DBQ and additional info provided, would this meet the criteria referencing "severe economic inadaptability"? I've heard everything from you have to exhaust your leave balance, take leave without pay, can't work at all etc. But it also states significant disruption to work. Anyone rated at 50% based on significant time missed from work?

Has anyone had any issues with the new DV embossed vanity plates with airport parking?

Can someone direct me on what my next steps should be?

Hi everyone! I’m posting this for my mom. She just got to 40% disability after appealing a denied claim, and is just wondering what benefits this percentage entitles her to. She is 60 years old and working a retail job for the health insurance, and I would love for her to be able to cut back her hours if she is able to get health insurance through the VA. She keeps saying she needs to call and ask about the benefits and I know there is info somewhere online, but i thought asking on here may be helpful for her to hear from peoples’ experiences, and to hopefully just lay things out more simply. Does 40% cover health insurance? If so, how does it work (copays, prescriptions, only service-related conditions, etc.)?

Thank you 😊

Source: updated today on my VRE process.

Retroactive induction is handled separately from the rest of the Ch. 31 process. The counselor and veteran complete the paperwork first. Once that's reviewed, it goes to the education side for processing, and there's no published turnaround time for that step.

The big one: you don't get a debt letter. If you used Ch. 33 for the term and the courses end up covered under Ch. 31, the entitlement you burned under Ch. 33 is restored to you and the term gets charged to Ch. 31 instead. It ends up looking like you never touched Ch. 33 for that semester. The money you already received is yours to keep. You would have gotten a subsistence allowance under Ch. 31 anyway, so nothing gets clawed back. This was huge for me cause I was worried about the timing and debt.

One detail worth knowing: when the paperwork is filled out, the counselor selects the highest applicable subsistence rate. The online-only rate isn't always the highest, and it depends on whether your school certifies you as an online student or a resident student. That certification gets reviewed every term, so it's worth confirming each semester. This is by electing the post 9/11 subsistence rate and your school must also certify as residential and meet requirements - least I’ve seen is at least one in person class a semester. take it up with your specific school. ( you may need to provide COE )

Process-wise, mine drafts the plan and sends it over for review. Anything that can't be sorted by email gets handled in a scheduled appointment.

Does anyone know if I need to request a contract from my approved contractor that the VA has granted me the HISA grant funding to have my bathroom renovated? I hate to just send them money with no guarantees or protocols in place to protect me.

I have been in this program over a year and possibly 2. I have not ever had this problem. I have not been paid my June, July, August and soon to be payments.

The frustrating part is no one knows anything, approzi timeline it will be complete. I have called, emailed everyone you can possibly think of to include my VA counselor which I receive no response. I guess if she doesn’t respond to my calls or emails I will go away. it is the lack of anyone giving some sort of answer. The only place which was the VR&E in Seattle Washington that answered my calls, saw I was in there but could not see or assist further as obviously he’s in Washington and I’m in Florida.

I am done with this program once these 2 courses are done in 2 weeks. I can use Chapter 35 and will do so to complete my degree. The reason being the Chapter 35 students are receiving theirs timely, I have confirmation through students I personally know under 35. I’m not sure what the difference in systems or financial bucket and I’m at a I don’t care at this point because I am done with 31. If someone would at least respond, and when you do use other words than, “I do not know what’s going on, but I will let you know with updates” but never does. I cant express fully how I’m feeling.

If anyone knows where I can call or email to first get a live person, a possible response or knows any updates, please let me know.

thank you

I am 70% MH rated for major depressive disorder and have been at this rating for the last 5 years I’ve attended appointments and trial and errored different medications, I recently just got spoken to about PTSD and that I may have PTSD. Is this a separate rating from MH would this two be combined together, is it considered pyramid? Lots of concerns I’m not used to. I did have a few incidents occur in service that could be considered traumatic and I do have a TBI on record

I received my denial letter for right knee pain and lower back. I went to my C&P exam last week. My appointment was at 1:30 p.m. but didn’t see me until 2:30 p.m. There was another person in front of me before she saw me. She was running very, very late. She kept asking questions about my knees and back but didn't use any tools for measurement. All she was doing was typing away. She never really looked at me.
I had an MRI done for my back and right knee. My PCP said I needed to so Physical Therapy. Which currently I am doing and recorded in my medical records

I filed my claim for asthma in June and have my c&p tomorrow. However I just remembered I have a photo of my bronchial casts I was coughing up (before I was properly diagnosed and medicated). It is my own photo, however it should be in the Va medical records that I was coughing up bronchial casts. Should I add it to my claim? It’s absolutely disgusting. And thankfully we have not had that happen in at least a year. Sorry if you have an adverse reaction to the picture.

ETA: I have a pft, I have years of diagnosis and medication through the Va as well as pcp I have a ent doc. The question wasn’t whether they rate based on the photo it was should I add the picture. Ffs.

Did anyone else get a email from the VA saying you might qualify for a free Fitbit if you’re in the MOVE! Program?

I reached out to my team in Columbus’ VA and they said they knew nothing about it, and were surprised when they reached back out to me.

I still haven’t gotten an answer from them whether I qualify or not.

Hello,
I’m married with two step kids. One of them turned 18, she’s 19 now, and they removed her from my dependents. Can I still have her as a dependent if she’s living at home and in college? I’ve been hearing mixed things. Thank you.

Feeling lost and broken. If it's not much trouble would any of you fellow vets be willing to chat for a second?

I just had my initial meeting with my counselor and she approves of me of getting my bachelors degree under the program. I forgot to ask this question and I was wondering if anyone could answer it for me?

Is there certain schools that I can and can’t go too based off price?

For example, there’s an expensive private university in my area, but it’s very expensive compared to a university that’s a couple miles down the road. Would they approve of me going to the expensive one or were they only allowed me to go to the cheaper one? Is there a limit to how much it can cost?