1. Federal Employer’s Certification Handbook
On-the-Job Training & Apprenticeship Programs
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Education Service Washington, D.C.
Updated June 2019 (v4)
1-888-GIBILL-1 ( )

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
APPROVAL OF PROGRAMS………………………………………………….…….. 4 ASSISTING EMPLOYEES: APPLICATION FOR BENEFITS
DESIGNATION OF CERTIFYING OFFICIAL(S) …………….…
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CERTIFYING OFFICIAL……
FILE MAINTENANCE……………………………………………………………..… ENROLLMENT CERTIFICATION
CERTIFYING OFFICIALS (COs) HOTLINE TRAINING AGREEMENT: VA-FORM ……………………………..…….....9
REGIONAL PROCESSING OFFICES……...……………………………………….10 MONTHLY VERIFICATION OF HOURS WORKED…………………….………....11
COMPLIANCE SURVEYS…………..………………………………………………..12 GI BILL WEBSITE INFORMATION……………………..………………………… FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS……………………………………….………13

3. PREFACE
This guide is written for federal employers offering On-the-Job or Apprenticeship training (OJT/APP) to Veterans and their beneficiaries.
Veterans and other qualified persons may be eligible to receive a monthly stipend in addition to wages, which could help them meet their expenses while training in an approved training program.
As the employer or designated Certifying Official of an approved training program, you are the key to ensuring orderly and accurate processing of documentation to ensure that an eligible Veteran receives his or her GI Bill® education benefits.
This guide was developed to assist you with this task, as it contains useful information and step-by-step instructions on the application, certification process and responsibilities of both the employer and Veteran.
If after review, you have further questions about VA policies and procedures or about completing VA forms, contact your Education Liaison Representative (ELR). You can locate your ELR at:
_officials/elr.asp.
Veterans may be referred to and may contact VA at between 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. Central Time, Monday-Friday or by visiting click on Education Benefits.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official
U.S. government Web site at
This section of our website has more info about the trademark:

4. APPROVAL OF PROGRAMS
The law provides that the VA may pay educational assistance to Veterans and other eligible individuals while they pursue approved training programs. Approval may be granted for programs offered at educational institutions as well as formal on the job or apprenticeship training provided by employers (private or public).
The Director, Education Service, Veterans Benefits Administration, on behalf of the Secretary, has authority to approve programs offered by agencies of the Federal Government, as well as programs related to interstate commerce carriers
and railroads that have programs approved nationally by the U.S. Department of Labor.
If you are reading this, it is assumed that your agency’s OJT or APP program(s) has been approved for GI Bill benefit purposes. As such, the Certifying Official has received or will receive an approval letter from the ELR of jurisdiction. This letter provides a VA facility code, as well as pertinent program and certifying information. Please retain this letter in your records as a reference. All forms required for certifying Veterans will be provided with the letter. If the OJT/APP program has not been approved, the ELR can provide you the appropriate application package. VA Form , Employer’s Application to Provide Job Training, and the forms mentioned below will be provided by the ELR.
This guide will describe the forms and provide some guidance on completion, but the forms are only available from the ELR, as most are controlled VA forms, and are not available on the VA website. VA Forms , , b, and should not be provided to trainees.
Once the program has been approved and the ELR has entered the data into VA’s Web Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS), it can be reviewed at Choose the drop down for On-the-Job Training/Apprenticeship in program type. Approved programs can also be found in the GI Bill Comparison Tool at
It is important to remember that:
Training programs, not organizations, are approved by the VA. Organizations which have multiple training programs must have each program approved individually. Veterans can only receive benefits while training in VA approved programs.
When submitting enrollment information to the VA, it is vital that you list your organization and programs using the same name that has been approved by VA. A claim cannot be processed unless the name of the program matches the program name in WEAMS.

5. Each program has been approved for a specific number of hours
Each program has been approved for a specific number of hours. Do not continue to certify a trainee beyond the number of approved hours.
The organizational name, the program name(s), and length in hours, as submitted to VA can be found:
On the initial letter of program approval issued by the ELR.
On VA Form which is issued by the ELR to the organization after VA (Central Office) approval has occurred.
Example:
Organization name: Department of Veterans Affairs
Programs/approved length in months, hours or years:
Veterans Service Representative – 24 months
Rating Veteran Service Representative -24 months
The length in hours or months of each individual work process is indicated in the training plan/outline used when requesting approval of the program.
ASSISTING EMPLOYEES WITH THEIR APPLICATION FOR BENEFITS
Veterans, beneficiaries or reservists applying for education benefits for the first time must complete VA Form , Application for Education Benefits. Family members must complete VA Form e, Application for Family Member to use Transferred Benefits. Veterans should provide Copy 4 of DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, for each period of active duty, if available. Reservists generally are not required to provide any document to show eligibility.
If the Veteran has used GI Bill benefits in the past, VA Form , Request for Change of Program or Place of Training may be completed instead.
Survivors & Dependents eligible under Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance program, (Chapter 35) applying for the first time must complete VA Form , Application for Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance. The son or daughter should provide a certified copy of his/her birth certificate.
If the survivor and/or dependent used benefits in the past, a VA form , Request for Change of Program or Place of Training may be completed instead.
Note: Certifying Officials should not attempt to determine an employee’s eligibility, as VA will make all eligibility determinations. Once an application is processed by VA, the employee will receive a Certificate of Eligibility, a denial

6. DESIGNATION OF CERTIFYING OFFICIAL(S) VA FORM 22- 8794
of eligibility, or a denial of program letter (if the program approval is not yet in WEAMS).
VA Forms is available at education-benefits/ VA Forms e, , and should be submitted electronically at the same site.
DESIGNATION OF CERTIFYING OFFICIAL(S) VA FORM
The Certifying Official is a representative of the training facility who is authorized to sign and submit documents to the Department of Veterans Affairs to certify a Veteran’s enrollment, change in status, and any other circumstances that affect the amount or duration of the beneficiaries’ educational assistance benefits.
This form MUST ONLY be completed and signed by a responsible official with the authority to designate certifying officials for training establishments.
It is important that a new VA Form be submitted any time there is a change in certifying officials. Each VA Form submitted must include all names, since the new form supersedes the old one. The form may be obtained from your ELR. Please return the completed form to your ELR for processing. (Exception- some nationally approved federal programs may be required to submit this form to VA Central Office).
A listing of ELR’s by jurisdiction is located at tifying_officials/elr.asp.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CERTIFYING OFFICIAL
Provide general information regarding the certification process to the Veteran.
Maintain the Veteran’s file (See more information below in “File Maintenance” section).
Verify hours submitted to VA. The Certifying Official must have access to official payroll records or other official records that reflect hours.
Complete and forward the initial and monthly Enrollment Certification (VA Form ), and a copy of the signed training agreement to the VA Regional Processing Office. (See more information below in “Enrollment Certification” section).

7. Evaluate and maintain a record of previous education and training of Veterans and eligible persons, grant appropriate credit, shorten the course/program proportionately and notify the trainee of the results of the evaluation. A copy of the trainee’s notification should be retained in the file.
Forward appropriate documentation to VA. This includes:
Copies of all Training Agreements
Notification of trainee withdrawal from a program
Changes in Certifying Officials
Changes in requirements for approved programs
Name and/or address changes for the organization or the primary Certifying Official
FILE MAINTENANCE
Records must be kept to include:
Copies of all initial and monthly certifications submitted to the VA Regional Processing Office (RPO).
A copy of the training agreement.
Copies of all payroll records or other official records indicating hours worked within each certification period. Records should reflect overtime, sick, and vacation days.
Records pertaining to the trainee’s progress in job performance and, for apprenticeships only, records regarding necessary related instruction.
A cumulative list of training hours for each work process completed or certified on the VA Form , including the total number of training hours for all work processes.
A record of previous education and training of Veterans and eligible persons and a copy of the notification given to the student.
Copy of the trainee’s Certificate of Completion is required for Apprenticeship programs.
Wage scale progression (interstate commerce and railroad programs)
Paper records must be kept intact and in good condition at the training institution for at least 3 years following the end of each enrollment period. If the records are stored electronically, the paper records may be stored at another site. The electronic records must be easily accessible at the training facility for at least 3 years following the end of each enrollment period. Records must be maintained for all trainees certified to VA, even those that have left employment.

8. ENROLLMENT CERTIFICATION: VA FORM 22-1999 SIDE (B)
Complete form as follows:
Item 1 – First, Middle, Last name of the beneficiary
Item 2 – VA File Number
Item 3 – Beneficiary’s address
Item 4 – Social Security Number of Student (If not entered in Item 2)
Item 5 – Name of Program
Item 6 – Type of Training, Apprenticeship or Other On-The-Job
Item 7 – Specify the amount of credit granted for previous experience if the trainee is given advance standing in the training program. Insert “NONE” if no credit is granted
Do not complete items 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D, Vocational Flight Training
Do not complete items 9A, 9B, 9C, and 9D Correspondence Training
Complete APPRENTICESHIP AND OTHER ON-THE-JOB TRAINING Section
Item 10A – Training Dates, Beginning date and ending date of training
Item 10B Type of Training
Item 10C Number of hours trainee is employed per week in training program
Item 10D Number of hours in standard work week
Item 11 Remarks – put the number of hours worked each month – Example: Jan hours, Feb 2017 – 160 hours, Mar 2017 – hours 2A – Enter the facility code number assigned by the ELR
Item 12A – Facility Code
Item 12B – School Name and Address
Item 12C – Telephone Number of Certifying Official
Item 12D – Signature of Certifying Official
Item 12E – Date Signed
NOTE: When certifiying a Veterans training for the first time, the Certifying Official may list previous months and hours trained from the beginning of the program in Item 10A.
The Enrollment Certification, VA Form , may be mailed or faxed to the Regional Processing Office of jurisdiction or may be submitted electronically through VA-ONCE. You must first complete a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), at and submit it to your ELR. Your ELR will provide you with a Password, User ID and instructions for using VA-ONCE.

9. CERTIFYING OFFICIALS (CO’S) HOTLINE
A dedicated toll-free hotline is now available for Certifying Officials (COs). The toll-free hotline number is 1 (855) The hotline is available Monday through Friday, from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, Central Time.
COs must provide the facility code and be listed as a designated certifying official to receive assistance through the dedicated hotline.
Calls received on the hotline from employees who have not been designated to provide enrollment information to VA will be routed to the GI Bill hotline ( )
This hotline is for Certifying Officials only; it should NOT be given to trainees/employees for any reason.
TRAINING AGREEMENT FOR APPRENTICESHIP AND OTHER ON-THE-JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS (TITLE 38 U.S.C AND 3687)
The training agreement is an agreement between the employer and the Veteran or beneficiary. It indicates what the training will involve and what the salary will be for that period of time.
VA Form , OTHER ON-THE-JOB TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING AGREEMENT AND STANDARDS or other appropriate training agreement, such as the Department of Labor’s ETA form must be completed.
NOTE: Items 16a, b and c - Wage Progression Toward the Journey Worker Wage must show wage progression
Copies 1 to 3 are kept by the facility as part of the trainee’s records. Copy 4 is
provided to Veteran or beneficiary.

10. REGIONAL PROCESSING OFFICES
Eastern Region - Buffalo, NY
P.O. Box Buffalo, NY
Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, Virginia, Foreign Schools
Central Region - St. Louis, MO
P.O. Box St. Louis, MO
Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
Western Region - Muskogee, OK
P.O. Box Muskogee, OK
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Trust Territories/Philippines 10

11. MONTHLY VERIFICATION OF HOURS WORKED VA FORM 6553D-1
After a Veteran or beneficiary has submitted the appropriate application to VA, noting the request for OJT or APP benefits at your agency, he or she, if eligible, will receive an award letter. At the end of each month the Certifying Official must complete the VA form d-1, reflecting the number of hours trained. The Certifying Official may mail or fax the VA form d- 1 to the appropriate Regional Processing Office of jurisdiction. This form can also be sent electronically through our Submit a Question feature at Click on “Ask a Question” or “Your Account.” If this is your first time using the site, you must set up an account where it indicates “Not registered yet.” IMPORTANT: You must set up the account using your VA facility code rather than your social security number. The d-1 when submitted must be signed by a certifying official listed on VA Form , the Certifying Official designation form. A separate inquiry is required for each trainee’s d-1 submitted. Certification of the hours trained can also be submitted using our online certification application, VA- ONCE at: The Certifying Official will need to complete a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to gain access to the VA-ONCE application first.
RPO fax numbers:
Buffalo: (716)
Muskogee: (918)
St. Louis: (314)
*The fax numbers above should only be used to submit VA Form d-1s.
Note: Submission of the hours trained using VA-ONCE is the preferred method.
The Certifying Official can get copies of VA Form d-1, from the GI Bill website at n=Search.
Copies of all certifications must be maintained in the Veteran trainee’s file maintained by the organization. 11

12. COMPLIANCE SURVEYS
Compliance surveys are conducted in order to ensure that training establishments, and their approved courses, are in compliance with all applicable provisions of the laws administered by VA.
The Certifying Official will be contacted in advance to schedule an appointment. Please make sure the VA Form , Designation of Certifying Official, is current and correct.
During the compliance visit, the following documents will be reviewed:
Verification of Enrollment Data: Will need to review employer records including timecards, progress or other records as necessary to verify that the beginning date certified was the actual first date of training. Will also need to confirm the total length of the program and any breaks in training.
Verification of Prior Credit: Will need to review records to see that credit for prior training or experience was reviewed and credited, if applicable.
Verification of Hours Worked and Wages paid each month: Will need to review time and attendance records to confirm the number of hours worked per month. Will need to review VA Form d-1 to confirm hours reported to VA each month. Wage progression is required for interstate commerce and railroad programs.
Verification of Standards of Progress and Attendance: Progress records must be maintained in accordance with the approved training plan’s tasks and objectives.
Verification of Related Training (if applicable): Will need to review any required supplemental related instruction that is required by the Apprenticeship program and the progress of the trainee in that related training. A Certificate of Completion is also required for APP programs.
Verification of Training Agreement and Training Outline: Will need to review each trainee’s Training Agreement to verify the schedule of work processes in which training will be provided and the approximate amount of time to be spent in each process.
Upon completion of the visit, the Certifying Official will be informed of the survey findings. Significant discrepancies may lead to suspension and or withdrawal of the program. VA will attempt to assist you in the resolution of errors to prevent adverse actions. At the time of the survey or following a referral to VA Central Office, you may discuss and try to reach agreements on appropriate corrective actions for discrepancies, if any. Training will also be provided, if requested. 12

13. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The GI Bill website is available to Veterans, beneficiaries and Certifying Officials; it contains diverse informational tools to keep the public updated with VA education programs, education tools for beneficiaries and certifying officials. Following are the most common information topics to assist beneficiaries in achieving their education objectives:
Education Programs
How to determine your best educational benefits
Correct Paperwork and Information
Choosing a School
Program Comparison
How to Apply
Resources
Benefit Comparison Tools
Current rates for all Education benefits programs
Student Handouts, brochures and regulations
School Resources
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Are Veterans the only ones eligible to receive education benefits for On the Job Training and Apprenticeships from the VA?
No. Chapter 35 recipients are eligible to receive OJT/APP benefits. There are also dependents who may have received Transfer of Entitlement benefits that may be eligible.
Can hours from vacation periods be certified?
No. Only actual training time can be certified on the Enrollment Certification.
Can hours from sick time be certified? 13

14. Can overtime hours be certified?
No. Only actual training time can be certified on the Enrollment Certification.
Can hours spent in supplemental training classes be certified? (Apprenticeships)
Yes, but only if the training is done during regular working hours and the employer is paying the trainee the regular wages.
Can overtime hours be certified?
Overtime hours can sometimes be certified. In order to certify overtime hours, the hours must be “training” hours that are tracked consistent with the work processes and tasks that were approved by the VA. It is essential that these hours are distinguished from “work” hours. Only “training” hours are certifiable to VA for payment. Normally, these hours are considered utilization of training already learned. Remember, that full-time status is reached when a trainee works a minimum of 120 hours per month.
Benefits do not increase for hours worked after 120. Since each program is approved for a specific number of hours, if overtime hours are certified, the trainee would reach the maximum number of hours for which he/she can be certified before the program is completed.
Where can I obtain more of the Enrollment Certifications forms?
Contact your Education Liaison Representative. Education Liaison Representatives can be found at tifying_officials/elr.asp.
What if the Veteran trainee has questions regarding their benefits?
The trainee can call the VA at (888) or get information online at They can also access E BENEFITS, Frequently Asked Questions and may Submit a Question on the website.
Who do I call if I need help? 14