Sponsors (34)
The bill expands and improves pay and tracking for veteran work-study opportunities—boosting earnings, access, and transparency—but raises program costs and administrative burdens that could reduce capacity or shift costs to agencies and taxpayers.
Veterans and service members will be able to access a wider range of qualifying work-study roles at state and local agencies and nonprofits, increasing employment and training opportunities.
Student veterans will receive pay at the highest applicable wage (federal, state, or local) for work-study roles, which increases their earnings while they train or study.
Veterans and student participants will have faster, more accurate pay and easier hour reporting due to required electronic timekeeping with supervisor approval.
Taxpayers and veterans could face reduced program capacity or require increased VA funding because paying the highest applicable wage raises overall program costs.
State and local agencies and nonprofits hosting participants will face higher labor costs and added administrative burden to comply with the higher wage floor and electronic timekeeping requirements.
Veterans and student participants could experience payment delays or administrative slowdowns if the electronic timekeeping rollout is slow or costly to implement.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Expands VA work-study to state/local agencies and nonprofits, sets pay to the highest of federal schedule or state/local minimums, requires e-timekeeping and annual reporting; effective Jan 1, 2028.
Introduced November 10, 2025 by April McClain Delaney · Last progress November 10, 2025
Expands where VA work-study participants may serve to include State and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations that provide services benefiting veterans and service members. Raises the wage floor used to calculate work-study pay to the highest of the Federal schedule/Federal Wage System rate, the State minimum wage where services are performed, or the local minimum wage, requires the VA to support electronic timekeeping and electronic supervisor approval, and requires annual public reporting on participation and pay. These changes apply to work-study allowance payments made on or after January 1, 2028.