Yes, it is possible to change your program of study or vocational goal while participating in Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E), also known as Chapter 31, even if you are well into your plan. VR&E is built around an individualized rehabilitation plan, and that plan can be amended if your goals, medical situation, or labor-market outlook change. The process typically involves going back to your assigned Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) and requesting a reevaluation of your plan. This is a normal part of the program, not a rare exception, and counselors are trained to handle these conversations.
When you raise a change, the counselor will usually reassess your case using the same basic framework used at intake: your service-connected disabilities and how they affect your ability to work in the current field, your transferable skills and prior experience, the feasibility and labor-market demand for the new goal, and how much of your 48-month entitlement (or extended entitlement, if applicable) remains. Time already spent in the program is a factor they consider, but it is not automatically a bar to changing direction. Counselors regularly work with veterans who realize partway through a program that the original goal no longer fits their interests, health, or long-term plans.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →It helps to prepare before the meeting. Be ready to explain concretely why the new goal is a better fit, ideally tying it to your service-connected conditions and how the new path is more sustainable long-term. Have basic research ready on the new field: program length, required coursework or licensure (a PA program, for example, requires prerequisite coursework, a bachelor's degree, and often direct patient-care hours before applying to an accredited PA program), and realistic timelines given your remaining entitlement. Being upfront about burnout or fit issues is generally viewed as a legitimate reason for reassessment, not as evidence that prior VA investment was wasted, since the goal of VR&E is a sustainable outcome, not sunk cost.
If your VRC is not receptive or you disagree with a decision about changing your plan, you have the right to request a review of that decision through VR&E's internal channels, including speaking with a supervisor, and ultimately you retain broader VA appeal rights if a formal decision on your benefits is made.
The concrete next step is to contact your VRC directly, explain that you want to discuss amending your rehabilitation plan, and ask what documentation or evaluation (such as updated testing or a labor-market survey) would be needed to support a shift toward a PA program or another ortho-related path.
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