VA Form 22-6553d-1, the Monthly Certification of On-the-Job and Apprenticeship Training, is completed by the employer’s certifying official, not the trainee, on or after the last day of each month being certified. The VA will not release the trainee’s monthly GI Bill payment until it receives this form, so accurate and timely submission is the whole point of the exercise.
Who Fills It Out
The trainee has no signature line on this form. The certifying official at the training facility, usually a supervisor or HR representative named in the approved training agreement, completes every field and signs it.1Department of Veterans Affairs. Monthly Certification of On-the-Job and Apprenticeship Training The veteran’s practical job is to make sure the employer actually submits it each month, because a missing or late certification means no payment.
The form applies to trainees using Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33), Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (Chapter 30), Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance, or Fry Scholarship benefits in an OJT or apprenticeship program that a State Approving Agency has approved.2Veterans Affairs. On-The-Job Training and Apprenticeships
How to Complete the Form
The PDF is available on the VA forms page.3Veterans Affairs. VA Form 22-6553d-1 Complete it on or after the last day of the last month being certified.1Department of Veterans Affairs. Monthly Certification of On-the-Job and Apprenticeship Training
Header
Enter the name and facility code of the training establishment. The facility code is the unique identifier the VA assigned during program approval, and the certifying official should already have it on file. Then enter the trainee’s full name, mailing address, VA file number, and payee number. The form asks for the VA file number, not a Social Security Number. The trainee can find it on prior VA correspondence or on the Certificate of Eligibility.
Item 1: Month and Year
List the month or months and year being certified. A single form can cover more than one month if a prior certification was delayed.1Department of Veterans Affairs. Monthly Certification of On-the-Job and Apprenticeship Training
Item 2: Hours Worked
Record the total hours the trainee worked in each month listed. Include any related classroom instruction that occurred during working hours; those count toward the training total. A trainee who logs fewer than 120 hours in a month receives a proportionally reduced payment (90 hours produces 90/120 of the monthly rate), so accuracy here matters. Rounding up can generate an overpayment the VA will later recover, and rounding down shortchanges the trainee.
Items 3–5: Program Status
Item 3 is a yes-or-no box: was the trainee still pursuing the approved program during the months shown? If yes, skip to Item 6. If no, complete Item 4 with the date training ended and Item 5 with the reason. If the trainee has reached full competency (what the VA calls journeyman knowledge and skills), note that in Item 5.1Department of Veterans Affairs. Monthly Certification of On-the-Job and Apprenticeship Training
Item 6: Wage Rate
Item 6A asks whether the current wage matches what the training agreement specifies. OJT and apprenticeship agreements normally include a schedule of raises as the trainee progresses, and the VA uses Item 6 to confirm the employer is following it. If the wage no longer matches the agreement, mark No, enter the new rate in Item 6B, and the effective date in Item 6C.1Department of Veterans Affairs. Monthly Certification of On-the-Job and Apprenticeship Training Do not leave Item 6A blank when the wage is unchanged; check Yes.
Item 7: Remarks
Use Item 7 for three specific things the VA wants to know about: additional detail on wage rate changes, any change in the trainee’s number of dependents (which can affect the benefit amount under some chapters), and any concerns about unsatisfactory conduct or progress.1Department of Veterans Affairs. Monthly Certification of On-the-Job and Apprenticeship Training Otherwise leave it blank.
Items 8 and 9: Signature
The certifying official prints their name and title and enters the date in Items 8A and 8B, then signs in Item 9. The signature certifies that the information is true and correct to the best of the signer’s knowledge and belief.1Department of Veterans Affairs. Monthly Certification of On-the-Job and Apprenticeship Training
Where to Submit It
The completed form goes to one of two VA Regional Processing Offices, based on where the training facility is located.4Veterans Affairs. Regional Processing Office Addresses for GI Bill Applications
Facilities in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, or a U.S. trust territory mail to:
Department of Veterans Affairs
PO Box 8888
Muskogee, OK 74402-8888
Facilities in any other state, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or a foreign country mail to:
Department of Veterans Affairs
PO Box 4616
Buffalo, NY 14240-4616
The VA also runs an Education File Upload Portal for secure digital submission. Uploading generates a confirmation record and avoids postal delays. Save the confirmation as proof of timely filing.
Common Mistakes That Delay Payment
- Late submission. The VA cannot pay until it has the certification. Every day of delay is a day the trainee waits.
- Wrong or missing VA file number. If the number doesn’t match VA records, the form sits until someone matches it manually. Get the number from the Certificate of Eligibility.
- Leaving Item 6A blank when the wage hasn’t changed. Check Yes; a blank creates ambiguity the VA has to resolve first.
- Not reporting a mid-month termination. If the trainee leaves and Item 3 isn’t marked No with the end date, the VA may issue an overpayment that both parties then have to unwind.
After Submission
The VA reviews the reported hours and wage data against the approved training agreement and the trainee’s remaining entitlement. For trainees with direct deposit, payments generally arrive 7 to 10 business days after the enrollment is verified. Paper checks take about 14 days from issuance.5Veterans Affairs. GI Bill and Other VA Education Benefit Payments FAQs Payment status is visible on the VA.gov dashboard. If a paper check hasn’t arrived within three weeks of issuance, the VA can issue a replacement, though that can take up to six additional weeks.
Penalties for False Certification
The form warns that willful false reports about VA benefits can result in fines, imprisonment, or both.1Department of Veterans Affairs. Monthly Certification of On-the-Job and Apprenticeship Training Federal law sets a maximum penalty of five years in prison for knowingly submitting a false statement to a government agency.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S.C. 1001 – Statements or Entries Generally The exposure runs to the certifying official who signs. Inflated hours, falsified wage figures, and certifications of training that didn’t occur are the conduct that triggers VA Office of Inspector General investigations.