Instructional material and other resources for financial aid administrators and Vocational Rehabilitation participants
Financial aid administrators:
- Financial aid offices – Instructions for completing Part B
- Vocational Rehabilitation office email and fax for financial aid offices
Vocational Rehabilitation participants:
Postsecondary Training Services Information
2025-2026 Academic School Year
All participants interested in receiving postsecondary assistance from VR must apply for federal and state financial aid by filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. The FAFSA must be filed before VR can determine assistance for any postsecondary training program, and participants should file the FAFSA by the Indiana priority filing deadline of April 15th each year. More information about the FAFSA process is available at https://learnmoreindiana.org/fafsa/ and https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.
As a result of the FAFSA Simplification Act, the Student Aid Index (SAI) replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The Act required institutions of higher education to transition from the EFC to the SAI beginning in the 2024-25 academic year. Participants’ SAI is a consideration when VR calculates funding for postsecondary training, except for participants who have been determined eligible for Social Security benefits under Titles II or XVI of the Social Security Act.
VR works with the participant and financial aid office of the participant’s postsecondary institution to gather information regarding the resources available for postsecondary expenses, such as grants, scholarships, federal and state aid. To determine the amount of assistance VR can provide for postsecondary training, VR subtracts the participant’s resources, including the SAI, from the lesser of either the published rates and tuition costs of the training institution or program the participant is attending, or the rates established by the VR program. If a participant receives a scholarship that is unrestricted and chooses to use it for an expense that VR does not cover, it will not be considered a resource. The amount of assistance provided to each participant will vary based on individual circumstances.
VR will consider the cost of commuting to school OR in some cases, depending on the participant’s circumstances, the cost of room and board, up to the annually established rates. Rates are established based on the cost to attend an in-state public training institution. Participants who choose to attend a higher cost program, such as a private or out-of-state postsecondary institution, are responsible for costs that exceed the annually established rates for postsecondary training services.
The rates below represent the maximum allowable costs for vocational training programs per VR case:
| Vocational Training Tuition/Fees | Short-Term Certification Program Long-Term Certification Program | $6,071 program maximum $12,142 program maximum |
|---|
The rates below represent the maximum allowable costs for undergraduate and graduate training services for 2025-26:
| Undergraduate Tuition/Fees (Associate or Bachelor Degree) | Semester Quarter Trimester Summer | $506 per credit hour, up to $6,071 $380 per credit hour, up to $4,554 $438 per credit hour, up to $5,248 $407 per credit hour, up to $3,664 |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Tuition/Fees (Graduate Degree) | Semester Quarter Trimester Summer | $617 per credit hour, up to $7,402 $463 per credit hour, up to $5,552 $572 per credit hour, up to $6,853 $658 per credit hour, up to $5,918 |
| Books and Materials | Semester Quarter Trimester Summer | Up to $625 Up to $469 Up to $589 Up to $517 |
| Room and Board | Semester Quarter Trimester Summer | Up to $6,992 Up to $5,244 Up to $5,662 Up to $4,712 |
A participant may submit a written request to the VR program for an exception to the rate schedule if their disability-related needs for accessing postsecondary education to meet their employment outcome cannot be met applying the rate schedule.