VA internship stipend question

[iheartbacon]

For anyone familiar with the VA system and their internships, do they typically adjust stipends based on cost of living increases or are stipends more dependent on funding from grants, etc.? With or without an adjustment, it will not change how I rank them - this is just a matter of curiosity in general (as well as early planning to make the year affordable, should I match with one). Thanks in advance!

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[WisNeuro]

The VA stipend should be listed in the program's brochure. What is listed is the salary, there is no adjustment beyond that, unless things have changed in recent years.

 

[iheartbacon]

The VA stipend should be listed in the program's brochure. What is listed is the salary, there is no adjustment beyond that, unless things have changed in recent years.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! I figured but after rereading a couple of brochures some of the wording about new budget allotments being announced in January I wasn't sure and wanted to check.

 

[WisNeuro]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! I figured but after rereading a couple of brochures some of the wording about new budget allotments being announced in January I wasn't sure and wanted to check.

Ah, if I recall correctly, the VA budget is on a 2 year cycle, so if it's up for a new cycle, there may be a possibility that the salary could increase depending in the budget bill. It'd be unlikely to derease.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

The training stipends are adjusted on an annual basis typically, although I don't know that they're tied to the COLAs full-time staff receive. Like WisNeuro mentioned, whatever's in the brochure is usually what your stipend will be, although sometimes there may be an increase that comes through after the brochures are made.

The funding for internships and other medical education is technically different from the funding for things like staff pay, although it's not from grants in the traditional sense.

 

[Seven_Costanza]

For anyone familiar with the VA system and their internships, do they typically adjust stipends based on cost of living increases or are stipends more dependent on funding from grants, etc.? With or without an adjustment, it will not change how I rank them - this is just a matter of curiosity in general (as well as early planning to make the year affordable, should I match with one). Thanks in advance!

I was an intern a couple years ago and there was a slight increase from what the brochure indicated. It was low, around $200. And this was in a high cost area.

 

[AcronymAllergy]

As a slight aside, keep in mind that sites don't set the pay themselves; it's determined at a national level. Even if sites wanted to pay interns more, they couldn't. Also, the pay for psychology interns in VA is commensurate with many other affiliated health trainees across other disciplines within VA.

Doesn't mean internship pay is great, or even good. But the VA does generally tend to be on the higher end of the scale.