VR&E (Chapter 31)
Veteran Readiness and Employment is the program most often missed. A veteran rated 10 percent or more with any discharge but dishonorable can be found to have an employment handicap and placed on one of five tracks: reemployment with a former employer, rapid access to employment, self-employment, long-term services (a degree or training with tuition, books and a subsistence allowance on top of any GI Bill), or independent living.
- Deadline
- Discharged before January 1, 2013: 12 years from separation or first rating, extendable for a serious handicap. On or after: no time limit
- Apply
- Online with VA Form 28-1900
- Office
- St. Paul VA Regional Benefit Office, 1 Federal Drive, Room G200, Fort Snelling; weekdays 8 to 4:30; 800-827-1000; 50 miles, free parking, Blue Line stop
GI Bills
- Post-9/11 GI Bill
- Full in-state public tuition at the top tier, monthly housing allowance for more than half-time enrollment, books stipend, 36 months; no expiry for service ending on or after January 1, 2013
- Minnesota GI Bill (197.791)
- Need-based; up to $5,000 a year and $15,000 lifetime by statute, paying full-time students up to $3,000 a year as administered; $3,000 a year for apprenticeship or on-the-job training and $1,000 employer credits; apply yearly through MDVA
- Survivors (197.75)
- Free public tuition through a bachelor's degree plus $750 a year for children and spouses of a veteran whose death VA attributes to service
Public jobs and veterans preference
- Points (197.455)
- 10 for a veteran, 15 for a disabled veteran, on a passing competitive score; 5 on a first promotional exam; usable by a surviving spouse or the spouse of a disabled veteran unable to work
- Tenure (197.46)
- After probation, removal from a city, county, town or school-district job only for incompetency or misconduct proved at a hearing
- City of Kenyon
- Postings ask applicants to attach documentation to claim the points
- Definition (197.447)
- Honorable separation after 181 consecutive days of active duty, or by disability, or the federal minimum
Work and business
- CareerForce Faribault
- 201 Lyndale Ave S, Suite 1; DEED veterans employment representatives
- CareerForce Red Wing
- 308 Pioneer Road, Suite 106
- Veteran-owned business preference (16C.16)
- Up to 12 percent on state procurement for certified small businesses majority-owned by veterans; direct awards up to $100,000; certification through the Office of Equity in Procurement or SBA
- DEED Reservist and Veteran Business Loan
- Linked from the city's economic development page
- Kenyon incentives
- TIF, abatement, facade grants and KMU rebates
Sources: va.gov, benefits.va.gov, cem.va.gov, department.va.gov, veteranscrisisline.net, Minnesota Statutes and Rules at revisor.mn.gov, revenue.state.mn.us, dps.mn.gov, mn.gov/mdva, Goodhue and Rice County veterans service pages, macvso.org, mac-v.org, davmn.org, threeriverscap.org, mnlegion.org, Minnesota Gambling Control Board, IRS and ProPublica filings, Kenyon Leader 2016–2025, KDHL, City of Kenyon council packets and minutes 2019–2026; road distances from the OSRM router. Compiled September 13, 2026. This site is independent of every agency and organization named; confirm amounts with the county service officer before relying on them.
Questions
What is VR&E?
Veteran Readiness and Employment, Chapter 31: training, education, job placement, self-employment help or independent-living services for veterans rated 10 percent or more with a discharge other than dishonorable. Apply online with VA Form 28-1900.
Is there a deadline for VR&E?
For veterans discharged before January 1, 2013, a 12-year window from separation or first rating, extendable for a serious employment handicap. Discharged on or after January 1, 2013: no time limit.
Which office handles VR&E for Kenyon?
The St. Paul VA Regional Benefit Office at Fort Snelling, 1 Federal Drive, Room G200, weekdays 8 to 4:30, 800-827-1000; about 50 miles from Kenyon, with free parking and the Blue Line stop.
What does the Post-9/11 GI Bill pay?
Full in-state public tuition and fees at the top tier, a monthly housing allowance for more than half-time enrollment, a books and supplies stipend, and 36 months of benefit; it does not expire for service ending on or after January 1, 2013.
What is the Minnesota GI Bill?
A state grant under Minn. Stat. 197.791 capped at $5,000 a year and $15,000 in a lifetime, paying full-time students up to $3,000 a year as administered; also $3,000 a year for apprenticeships or on-the-job training and $1,000 job-placement credits to employers. Apply each year through MDVA.
Do the children of a veteran who died in service get tuition help?
Free tuition at any Minnesota public institution through a bachelor's degree plus $750 a year, for eligible children and spouses of a veteran whose death VA attributes to service (Minn. Stat. 197.75).
Does the City of Kenyon give veterans preference?
Yes, as state law requires: 10 points for a veteran and 15 for a disabled veteran on a passing score, and the city's postings ask for the documentation to claim them.
What protects a veteran's public job?
After probation, a veteran employed by a city, county, town or school district may be removed only for incompetency or misconduct shown at a hearing on written charges (Minn. Stat. 197.46).
Where are the DEED veterans employment representatives?
At CareerForce Faribault, 201 Lyndale Avenue South, Suite 1, and CareerForce Red Wing, 308 Pioneer Road, Suite 106, which staff a dedicated veterans employment team.
Is there a preference for veteran-owned businesses?
The state awards up to a 12 percent preference on procurement to certified small businesses majority-owned and operated by veterans and may make direct awards up to $100,000 (Minn. Stat. 16C.16). The city's economic development page points to DEED's Reservist and Veteran Business Loan Program.