Training Allowance
Interested in becoming a Paralympic athlete?
The VA National Veterans Sports Programs & Special Events Office provides a monthly assistance allowance for disabled Veterans as authorized by section 703 of the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008 for qualifying athletes.
Through the program, VA will pay a monthly allowance to a Veteran with a service-connected or non-service-connected disability if the Veteran meets the minimum military standard or higher (e.g., Emerging, Talent Pool, National Team) in his or her respective sport at a recognized competition. Besides making the military standard, an athlete must also be nationally or internationally classified by his or her respective sport federation as eligible for Paralympic competition within six or 12 months of a qualifying performance.
Athletes must also have established training and competition plans and are responsible for turning in monthly and quarterly reports in order to continue receiving a monthly assistance allowance. The allowance base for an athlete approved for monetary assistance ranges from $554.22 up to $1,046.33 per month, depending on the number of dependents.
To learn more about the specific sport standards or the monthly assistance allowance, email us at vacoadaptiveSP@va.gov.
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