Monthly Training Allowance
For Veterans with Disabilities Training in Paralympic and Olympic sports
Athlete Stipend Program
The VA National Veterans Sports Programs & Special Events Office provides a monthly training allowance for Veterans with disabilities who are training in Paralympic sports or Veterans with disabilities who are selected for or competing with the national Olympic Team, as authorized under 38 U.S.C. 322(d) and 38 C.F.R. Part 76.
Requirements
Eligibility
A Veteran athlete must also be nationally or internationally classified by his/her respective Paralympic sport federation as eligible for Paralympic competition in that sport
OR
A Veteran athlete, with a service-connected disability rated 30 percent or greater by VA, must be selected for a national Olympic Team for any month in which the Veteran is competing in any event sanctioned by the National Governing Bodies of the U.S. Olympic Sport, in accordance with Public Law 114-223.
AND
In addition, the applicant must meet the legal definition of a Veteran as authorized in 38 U.S.C. 101. The applicant must meet the minimum active-duty service requirements as established in 38 U.S.C. 5303 and not be barred from VA benefits under 38 CFR 3.12.
*For both Olympic and Paralympic sports, the national sport organizations include the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, including its U.S. Paralympics Division and National Governing Bodies, and the equivalent organizations for American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands.
Meet the performance standard
To be eligible for the athlete stipend program, a Veteran with a qualifying disability must meet the minimum performance standards or higher (e.g., emerging athlete or national team) in his/her respective Paralympic sport at a recognized competition.
2023 VMAA Performance Standards (Effective Feb. 1, 2023)
Training Plans
Athletes must have established training and competition plans and are responsible for turning in monthly and quarterly reports in order to continue receiving the monthly assistance allowance.
Stipend Amount
The monthly allowance rate for an athlete approved for monetary assistance is the same as the 38 U.S.C. Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E) rate, which in FY 2024 starts at $768.42 and increases depending on the number of dependents.
As established in 38 U.S.C. § 322(d), annual allowance payments are limited subject to the availability of appropriations for this purpose and priority shall be given to Veterans with service-connected disabilities.
VA Forms for the Athlete Stipend Program:
Paralympic Sports Organization Points of Contact (PDF) for the athlete stipend program
Forms needed to apply:
VA Form 0918a, Certification of Paralympic Training Status (PDF)
VA Form 0918b, Application for Paralympic Allowance (PDF)
VA Form 10091, FSC Vendor File Request Form:
VA will only accept a digital submission for VA Form 10091. Please complete the digital version of the VA Form 10091 (VA-FSC Vendor File Request Form), which is available through FSC’s Customer Engagement Portal (CEP): https://www.cep.fsc.va.gov/.
To learn more about the specific sport standards or the monthly assistance allowance, email us at stipends4vets@va.gov.
Event Contact Information
Grants and Allowances
