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Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is a federally-funded state program that helps to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve “inclusion and integration”. If you qualify, VR can support you financially to get you to Gallaudet, receive proper training and education, and secure future employment.
VR agencies and counselors are advocates for your success– match them up with our VR team at Gallaudet, and know you’re in good hands.
Get information on VR such as eligibility requirements and potential benefits
Learn more about Gallaudet’s educational offerings and career opportunities
Basic eligibility: To qualify for Vocational Rehabilitation Services in most states, you must:
Have a documented permanent disability that causes a significant barrier to employment. For most Gallaudet students, it is their hearing status that is their disability.
Have a desire to be gainfully employed. You have to want to have a career.
While the application of VR funds vary by state, Gallaudet University students have applied VR funding to all of the following college expenses:
VR works with federal programs such as SSI and SSDI to streamline the process of eligibility. If you receive SSI or SSDI, the VR financial needs test criteria do not need to be met. You also may be eligible for more money than if you were to apply under typical circumstances.
VR funds can be allocated to provide targeted Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) for high schoolers seeking to explore college preparation. Many of our summer programs fall under the Pre-ETS umbrella, and we frequently collaborate with VR agencies to get program fees and transportation paid for.
Our ELI program is not only a bridge program for students seeking a post-secondary degree, but also can help prepare individuals for employment by enhancing their communication skills and written English proficiency needed for work. VR may agree to pay for ELI classes.
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is a federally funded state program located in every US state that helps state residents with disabilities get the training and education necessary to secure employment. College students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing may qualify for the service.
To be eligible for services through VR, your child must meet some guidelines, including:
VR Eligibility Checklist
Contact a guidance counselor, teacher, principal, or other school representatives to get a VR application and referral for your child. You also can contact your area’s VR office directly to get an application and set up an interview with a VR counselor.
Each state has unique eligibility criteria, application processes, and methods for deciding the level of support. If your child is determined to be eligible, the VR counselor will work with you to develop an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). The IPE covers job goals, the services needed to succeed in those job goals, and the review process for progress toward goal achievement, such as obtaining a college degree.
VR might not cover all of your child’s expenses related to college. Contact Gallaudet’s Financial Aid and Scholarship Office about other sources of financial support, including scholarships.
No. According to the Rehabilitation Act, federal regulations ensure that state agencies cannot establish policies that “effectively prohibit the provision of out-of-state services.”
A state agency “may establish a preference for in-state services,” as long as there are provisions to ensure that you can receive a necessary service. For example, if a more expensive out-of-state program is preferred, the state VR agency will pay up to the in-state program cost, not the total cost of the out-of-state program.
If no program within the state will enable your student to meet their employment goal, the state must have a process to fund the out-of-state program.
You can contact your state’s VR agency as early as 14-years-old through Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). Starting early in high school will ensure enough time to work with a VR counselor to determine employment goals before entering college.
As a parent/guardian, your participation in the VR process is essential, especially if the student is under 18 years old.
A few questions you can ask VR to help you understand the process include:
Contact your VR counselor. If you are unable to reach a solution, contact the following individuals:
Every state VR agency has policies and procedures to review if disagreements arise or services are denied. Your VR agency should provide you with information on your rights and remedies.
If your child qualifies for support from SSI based on disability, generally speaking, they should be eligible for VR benefits. Contact the Social Security Administration District Office to get specific information about the impact of VR services on your student’s SSI benefits.
No, VR support is under assessment each semester. Your child must maintain good academic standing and stay in contact with their VR counselor. Ways to keep in touch include keeping them up to date with all transcripts, changes in courses or curricula, financial status, or problems encountered.
Yes, a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) must be completed in your student’s last year of high school and each year while attending college. The FAFSA is available starting October 1 of your student’s senior year.
Through Pre-ETS, VR may support your student to participate in activities related to their transition, such as the Gallaudet Youth Programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
By participating in transition programs like our Youth Programs, your student begins the process to prepare for life after high school. Through self-assessment and hands-on activities, your student will learn more about matching their interests, personality and skills to career and career-education options.
Online transition planning programs also are available for your student to help them learn about their career interests and goals.
Contact the VR office closest to your home. VR programs can go by different names in different states, but you can find information in your local telephone directory under “State Government.”