Legal Cyber Academy

VET TEC 2.0 — VA-funded technology training for veterans

A VA programme that funds high-technology training for eligible veterans, capped at a set number of paid participants each fiscal year and currently accepting applications.

Type: Free & low-costCareer changers

Offered by US Department of Veterans Affairs

The facts

Cost
Funded by the VA for eligible veterans. The programme is limited to 4,000 paid participants in a fiscal year; the VA page we read on 2026-09-12 showed 2,325 openings available and applications open.Figure read 2026-09-12 from www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/how-to-use-benefits/vettec-high-tech-program
Prerequisites
Veteran eligibility as defined by the VA, plus acceptance by an approved training provider.
Format
Funding applied to approved high-technology training programmes, not a course in itself.
Length
The length of the funded programme.
Renewal
No renewal or recertification requirement is published for this entry.
Accreditation
No accreditation is claimed for this entry, and none should be inferred.
Who it suits
An eligible US veteran moving into digital forensics or cybersecurity who would otherwise be blocked by cost.
Audience
Career changers

Strengths

  • Removes the cost barrier entirely for eligible veterans, which is the decisive factor in this whole directory.
  • Contrary to a widely repeated claim that VET TEC ended, the VA's own page describes an active VET TEC 2.0 currently accepting applications.
  • Stacks with a veteran's existing education benefits planning rather than replacing a degree route.

Limitations

  • Veterans only, and subject to the VA's eligibility rules.
  • Hard-capped at 4,000 paid participants per fiscal year, so it is genuinely first-come and can close mid-year.
  • Only approved providers qualify, so it may not fund the specific forensics training you want.
  • Programme authorisation history has been volatile, which is exactly why the claim that it had ended circulated — verify current status on the VA page before planning around it.

Sources

Costs, prerequisites and exam formats in this field change often, and several providers price by region, cohort or employer agreement. Every figure on this page carries the date it was read and a link to the page it was read from. Confirm current terms with the provider before you spend anything.

Other free & low-cost options