DVA & 3CIR
If you have a current DVA rehabilitation plan, education and training may already be part of your pathway to sustainable employment. This page explains how DVA-funded qualifications work and how 3CIR can help — at no cost to you.
Training and assessment are delivered under a third-party arrangement with Asset College RTO #31718.
If you have a service-related injury or condition accepted by DVA, you may be entitled to a rehabilitation plan that includes funded education and training.
DVA rehabilitation is designed to help former ADF members adapt, manage, and recover following a service-related injury or condition. The aim is to get you back to the same physical, psychological, social, and vocational status you had before being injured or becoming ill.
Your rehabilitation plan is developed with you and your DVA rehabilitation consultant. It's administered under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) and the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (DRCA). If you have certain service under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA), you may also access the Veterans' Vocational Rehabilitation Scheme (VVRS).
Your plan may include three types of support — and education and training sits within the vocational rehabilitation pillar:
Developing skills to find health professionals in your area, access veteran-specific programs like Open Arms, and proactively manage your health and wellbeing.
Overcoming barriers that impact your social wellbeing or ability to function independently — including building routines, managing triggers, and reconnecting with community.
Helping you obtain or sustain suitable and meaningful employment — this is where education, training, and RPL qualifications sit within your DVA rehabilitation plan.
DVA recognises that nationally recognised qualifications are key to achieving sustainable employment after service. Here's what DVA's own rehabilitation policy says about why education matters.
"For injured workers, upskilling or re-training through formal education and training can be important for securing meaningful employment at a reasonable level of income and job security."
A course of vocational education or training can equip you with transferable skills for a civilian career — giving you the confidence to pursue new employment without long-term reliance on DVA support. Your military experience already contains these skills; RPL formally recognises them.
Nationally recognised qualifications provide job security within the labour market. Even if you change employers, your qualifications through prior learning are fully portable — they appear on your USI transcript and are valued by employers across all industries.
DVA policy acknowledges that a period of retraining gives you time to adjust to new circumstances before commencing ongoing employment. This helps you identify triggers, build coping strategies, and prepare for civilian workplace expectations at your own pace.
The ultimate goal of DVA vocational rehabilitation is suitable and sustainable employment. Formal qualifications in leadership and management, project management, WHS, security, and business give you the credentials employers require — bridging the gap between military experience and civilian recognition.
DVA's rehabilitation policy explicitly states that assisting veterans to obtain Recognition of Prior Learning through recognised educational institutions is an avenue of assistance that can be funded. This means your rehabilitation provider can include RPL through 3CIR and Asset College (RTO 31718) as part of your approved rehabilitation plan — converting your ADF experience into nationally recognised qualifications without redundant study.
Watch how 3CIR works alongside DVA rehabilitation providers to deliver funded, nationally recognised qualifications for ADF veterans — from RPL assessment through to qualification.
3CIR liaises directly with your DVA rehabilitation provider to facilitate funding for your qualifications. Here's how the process works — step by step.
Your DVA rehabilitation consultant completes a comprehensive vocational assessment and determines that further education or training is needed for you to secure suitable, sustainable employment. This is documented in your rehabilitation plan.
Your rehabilitation provider contacts 3CIR (or you let us know you have an active DVA rehab plan). 3CIR works directly with your provider to identify the most suitable qualifications based on your ADF experience, career goals, and what your plan supports. We handle the coordination so you don't have to.
Your rehabilitation provider submits the funding request to DVA on your behalf. This includes the recommended qualification, the training provider details (3CIR and Asset College, RTO 31718), and how it aligns with your vocational rehabilitation goals. You don't submit this yourself — your provider handles it.
DVA's rehabilitation delegate reviews the request. Once approved, DVA pays 3CIR directly for the educational services. This means the qualification is typically funded at no personal cost to you — DVA covers the fees as part of your approved rehabilitation program.
3CIR completes your RPL assessment or training, and your nationally recognised qualification is issued through Asset College (RTO 31718). It appears on your USI transcript — identical to any TAFE or university credential. Your rehabilitation consultant monitors your progress throughout the process.
You receive the same nationally recognised qualifications as any other 3CIR client — from Certificate III to Advanced Diploma across 9 categories — with DVA covering the cost as part of your rehabilitation. Your military experience is formally recognised as qualifications employers value.
There are several DVA and Defence programs that may fund education and training for veterans. Click each pathway below to learn more about eligibility and how 3CIR can assist.
This is the primary pathway for veterans with a service-related injury or condition accepted by DVA. If your rehabilitation plan includes a vocational component, DVA can fund nationally recognised qualifications through an RTO like Asset College (RTO 31718) — including RPL.
DVA's rehabilitation policy states that where a vocational assessment determines further education is needed for suitable employment, this must be considered. This applies equally to all DVA clients, regardless of rank or time since separation.
The VVRS is a free and voluntary rehabilitation program that assists eligible veterans to find or retain paid employment. It can include vocational assessments, interview skills training, skills upgrading, and short-term retraining.
Importantly, DVA's VVRS policy specifically states that assisting veterans to obtain Recognition of Prior Learning through recognised educational institutions is an avenue that can be funded under the VVRS.
The DFTP (formerly CTAS) is run by the Department of Defence — not DVA — and provides career transition support to ADF members preparing for post-Defence life. It includes access to career transition training that can fund qualifications.
Unlike DVA rehabilitation, the DFTP is available to all ADF members including Reservists, not just those with accepted injuries. Programs are accessible for up to 24 months after separation. Your ADF Transition Coach manages access to DFTP resources.
The biggest change to veterans' legislation in decades is coming. Here's what it means for DVA rehabilitation and education funding.
On 13 February 2025, Parliament passed the Veterans' Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act 2024 — known as the VETS Act. From 1 July 2026, the current three-Act system will be simplified:
The Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986 (VEA) and the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (DRCA) will close to new compensation and rehabilitation claims. All claims lodged on or after 1 July 2026 will be determined under an improved version of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA).
If you're already receiving payments under the VEA or DRCA before 1 July 2026, those payments will be grand-parented — meaning they continue uninterrupted. No existing benefits are being taken away.
Instead of navigating three separate Acts with different rules, all new claims will go through a single, improved MRCA. This makes the system easier to understand and ensures veterans receive consistent support.
DVA rehabilitation — including vocational rehabilitation and education funding — continues under the improved MRCA. The government's commitment to funding qualifications for injured veterans remains unchanged.
The VETS Act also improves access for veteran families, including education schemes for dependants of deceased or severely impaired veterans. The MRCAETS will be the single education scheme from 1 July 2026.
The core process remains the same: your rehabilitation provider identifies an education need, submits a funding request to DVA, and DVA funds qualified training through approved RTOs. 3CIR and Asset College (RTO 31718) continue to deliver DVA-funded qualifications under the new framework. If anything, the simplified system makes accessing your entitlements easier.
Read DVA's full VETS Act update →3CIR delivers 37+ nationally recognised qualifications across 9 categories, Australia-wide, through Asset College (RTO #31718). All are eligible for DVA rehabilitation funding when approved as part of your plan.
DVA-funded veterans typically pay nothing out of pocket. These prices reflect 3CIR's standard rates with the 25% military discount already applied. Specialised qualifications — including the 11346NAT Diploma of Operational Safety ($1,387.50) and the Corrections diplomas — are individually priced and confirmed at assessment. When DVA approves your qualification as part of a rehabilitation plan, DVA pays 3CIR directly — whether you complete it through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) or online study.
Training and assessment are delivered under a third-party arrangement with Asset College RTO #31718.
Hear from ADF members and veterans who have converted their military experience into nationally recognised qualifications with 3CIR.
Common questions veterans ask about DVA rehabilitation funding, qualifications, and how 3CIR can help.
Have a question not listed here? We're always happy to help.
If you have a DVA rehabilitation plan and want to understand how qualifications could fit into your pathway — or if your rehabilitation provider wants to discuss options — we're here to help. No pressure, no obligation, just genuine support from a team that understands.