Which Coding Bootcamps Accept VET TEC?

Table of Contents

• What Is VET TEC?
• VET TEC vs GI Bill
• Which Schools Accept VET TEC
• How to Apply for VET TEC in 3 Steps
• VET TEC Living Stipend: Online vs In-Person
• Further Reading

What Is VET TEC?

VET TEC is a high-tech training pilot program that doesn’t use GI Bill benefits and pays a monthly housing stipend to students in the program. VET TEC stands for Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses. In other words, veterans can attend a coding bootcamp for free without using any GI Bill benefits!

Insider Update: FY '24 is the last year of the VET TEC pilot program. The pilot program will end on 4/1/24 or when funding is exhausted. The VET TEC Authorization Act of 2023, pending with the Senate, will allow this pilot program to become permanent, although it will have to be re-approved every 5 years. 

VET TEC vs GI Bill

Of course, many coding bootcamps now accept the GI Bill. But VET TEC is different from the GI Bill:

• Veterans need 1 day of GI Bill Benefits to qualify for VET TEC and you need to have 1 day on the first day of your program. The VA will issue a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) when veterans apply to the program. Then they will double-check that eligibility when the veteran starts a program. If a veteran exhausts their GI Bill benefits between getting that CoE and day 1 of their program they are no longer eligible for VET TEC.

• VET TEC pays a monthly housing stipend to students in the program.
• For both GI Bill and VET TEC, veterans need to apply to VA and to the school. They have to be accepted into the school and have their VA benefits confirmed.
• Also, schools are paid differently than the GI Bill operates. As Maggi Molina, an advisor at Operation Code, says: "The biggest benefit to veterans is that it's essentially the full GI Bill benefit without actually using your GI Bill. Because bootcamps only get the full tuition payment after a veteran gets hired, bootcamps have an incentive to get veterans jobs."
  • An initial 25% of tuition and fees when the Veteran enrolls and attends.
  • Another 25% when the Veteran graduates from his or her training program.
  • The remaining 50% once the Veteran secures meaningful employment in his or her field of study.
• The VA will pay the Bootcamp in stages:

FYI: See a full list of bootcamps that accept the GI Bill. And compare the GI Bill vs VET TEC here.

Which Schools Accept VET TEC

A bootcamp is “preferred” if they agree to refund 100% of tuition and fees to the VA if the student graduates the program and does not find meaningful employment within 180 days.

You can also bookmark this page for the most updated list.

8 Preferred Bootcamp Partners 

1. New Horizons Computer Learning Center (DC/VA location)
2. Skillstorm Commercial Services
3. Training Concepts
4. Allskilled
5. TLG Learning
6. Galvanize
7. Divergence Academy

16 Non-Preferred Bootcamp Partners

1. LEARN Academy
2. Skill Distillery
3. Zipcode Wilmington
4. ACI Learning
5. Code Platoon
6. Detroit School for Digital Technology
7. Global Information Technology
8. SAVVY Coders
9. Fullstack Academy
10. Digital Workshop Center
11. Carolina Code School
12. Tech Elevator
13. We Can Code IT
14. Sabio
15. Prime Digital Academy
16. Code Fellows

Coding bootcamps can apply to be a VET TEC training provider here. 

How to Apply for VET TEC in 3 Steps

1. Apply online here. You’ll receive a letter from VA with a decision. If you are approved you will receive a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE).  
   
   
2. Choose a coding bootcamp from the VA’s list of approved providers (above). 
   
   
3. Tell the bootcamp you are eligible for VET TEC and interested in their program. You may need to pass a coding challenge and be admitted to the bootcamp as well (it depends on the bootcamp).

VET TEC Living Stipend: Online vs In-Person

An important reminder that your living stipend will depend on your location and whether you're taking the bootcamp online vs in-person.

The living stipend for students attending an online bootcamp is now $1054.50 per month, which is half of the national average for in-person bootcampers. 

The living stipend for students attending an in-person bootcamp is based on the zip code of the school, but the national average is $2109 per month. 

In 2023, there aren't as many coding bootcamps that have in-person classrooms and accept VET TEC. Here are a few bootcamps that do:

• Sabio has in-person campuses in southern California.
• Code Fellows has an in-person campus in Seattle.
• Code Platoon has an in-person campus in Chicago.
• LEARN Academy has an in-person campus in San Diego.
• Tech Elevator has in-person campuses in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Wilmington.

Further Reading

• Coding Bootcamp Veteran Scholarships
• How to Use the GI Bill to Attend a Coding Bootcamp