The GI Bill isn't just for college. Enter your ZIP code to search 19,185 employers with VA-approved on-the-job training or apprenticeship programs — union apprenticeships, skilled trades, law enforcement, manufacturing, and more — drawn from the VA GI Bill Comparison Tool's published data. You earn a wage from the employer while the VA pays a monthly housing stipend on top. Locations are shown at city level; always verify the exact worksite and current approval with the employer or the VA. Free, no signup.
In a VA-approved OJT or apprenticeship program you train full time in a real job — an electrician's apprenticeship, a police academy, a machinist program — and get paid twice over:
Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill the housing allowance starts at the full monthly rate for your training location and steps down as your training (and typically your wage) progresses:
| Training period | Share of the full monthly housing rate |
|---|---|
| First 6 months | 100% |
| Second 6 months | 80% |
| Third 6 months | 60% |
| Fourth 6 months | 40% |
| Remainder of training | 20% |
Other GI Bill programs (Montgomery GI Bill, survivors' and dependents' benefits) pay OJT at their own rates. Full details and current rates: VA.gov: On-the-job training and apprenticeships.
Before signing on, confirm the program in the VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (filter to on-the-job training / apprenticeships — it is the official, always-current source this directory is built from), and ask the employer or union who certifies your training hours to the VA. Approval is granted per program by each state's State Approving Agency, and it changes — an employer listed here may have gained or lost approval since our snapshot.
Yes. The GI Bill covers VA-approved on-the-job training and apprenticeship programs — union apprenticeships, skilled trades like electrical, plumbing, and HVAC, law enforcement academies, manufacturing, and more. You train full time in a paid job, and the VA pays you a monthly housing allowance on top of your wages. Details: va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/how-to-use-benefits/on-the-job-training-apprenticeships/.
Yes, twice over. The employer pays you a wage (apprenticeship wages typically rise on a set schedule as you progress), and the VA pays a tax-free monthly housing allowance on top, plus a books-and-supplies stipend. Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill the housing allowance starts at the full monthly rate and steps down every six months as your training progresses. Current rates are on va.gov.
Check the VA's official GI Bill Comparison Tool at va.gov/education/gi-bill-comparison-tool/ and filter to on-the-job training and apprenticeship programs, or ask the employer who certifies training hours to the VA. Programs are approved by each state's State Approving Agency and approval changes — always confirm before you sign on. Our listings come from the VA's published data but are a snapshot.
School and employer listings derive from the published data behind the VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (May 2026 snapshot). Locations are city-level; approval status changes — verify in the official VA tool before enrolling or signing on. Open data under CC BY 4.0. Published by Wounded Warriors, a Texas 501(c)(3) public charity, EIN 86-1336741.