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!

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 only need one day of unexpired GI Bill benefits. And the program itself doesn’t use GI Bill benefits. So for example, if you already used your GI Bill education benefits on a 4-year degree, then you could still apply for VET TEC and take a coding bootcamp.

• VET TEC pays a monthly housing stipend to students in the program (on a first-come, first-serve basis)

• You apply via the VA instead of applying to the bootcamps itself (as you would using the GI Bill). 

• 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."

  • The VA will pay the Bootcamp in stages:

    • An initial 25% of tuition and fees when the Veteran enrolls and attends.

    • Another 25% when the Veteran completes his or her training program.

    • The remaining 50% once the Veteran secures meaningful employment in his or her field of study.

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

Which Schools Accept VET TEC

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

9 Preferred Bootcamp Partners 

1. Skill Distillery
2. Zip Code Wilmington
3. Code Platoon
4. Galvanize
5. Sabio
6. Divergence Academy
7. Tech Elevator
8. LEARN Academy
9. Codeup

5 Non-Preferred Bootcamp Partners

1. Claim Academy
2. PDX Code Guild
3. Prime Digital Academy
4. Code Fellows
5. DigitalCrafts

Coding bootcamps can apply to be a VET TEC partner here. 

How to Apply for VET TEC in 3 Steps

1. Apply online here. You’ll receive a letter from VA with a decision. 

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 $938.50 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 $1877 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.
• DigitalCrafts has an in-person campus in Houston.
• 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.
• Codeup has in-person campuses in San Antonio and Dallas.

Further Reading

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