Your steps to apply
Occupational Therapist-Education Debt Reduction Program-Authorized
Veterans Health Administration · Big Spring, Texas · Closes in 71 days
Sign in to save your progress. Free, with just your email. You can read all the steps without an account.
1 Check you can apply You are here
Who can apply: Recent graduates, Federal employees - Competitive service, Internal to an agency, Federal employees - Excepted service, The public.
You must be a U.S. citizen to apply, according to the conditions of employment. The job is open to the public, and the agency also says it is open to current permanent VA employees, health professions trainees, current permanent federal employees of other agencies, and all U.S. citizens. Former EDRP participants cannot apply.
Experience: For GS-12, you need one year of experience equivalent to GS-11 that is directly related to this job. For GS-11, you need one year of experience equivalent to GS-9, and for GS-9 only the basic requirements apply, such as a bachelor's degree plus 2 years of experience as an occupational therapist.
Education: A degree in occupational therapy from a program accredited by ACOTE can qualify you. Options include a bachelor's degree in occupational therapy plus 2 years of experience, a bachelor's degree in occupational therapy plus 2 years of graduate education in a related field, or a master's or higher degree in occupational therapy. For GS-11, three years of progressively higher graduate education leading to an occupational therapy or related degree, or a doctorate in occupational therapy, can also qualify.
Licenses and certifications:
- Current NBCOT certification as an occupational therapist, or
- A full, current, and unrestricted state license to practice occupational therapy in a U.S. state, territory, Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia
Experience can be paid or unpaid, volunteer work included: if it matches the duties, it counts. The full rules are in the announcement.
2 Resume and documents
Write a federal resume for this job. For each job you held, give the month and year you started and ended, your hours per week and what you did, using the words of the experience the announcement asks for. Many announcements accept resumes of up to 2 pages: check this one.
3 Apply on USAJOBS
Closes in 71 days (January 8, until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time).
The job may close once 50 applications are received, which can be before the closing date of 01/08/2027; the first cut-off date is 10/26/2026, and more applications will be referred as needed.
You sign in to USAJOBS with a Login.gov account, answer the questionnaire and upload your documents, then you submit. Answer the questionnaire honestly: your resume must show what you claim.
How they rate you: You will be evaluated on how well you meet the listed qualifications, using your online questionnaire and documents. Your application, resume, and supporting documents will be verified, and errors or missing information may result in an ineligible rating or a lower overall rating.
4 After you apply
In USAJOBS, under Applications, you can see where your application stands: received, reviewed, referred to the hiring manager or not, then selected or not. It can take a few weeks.
For the interview, prepare three examples with the STAR method: the Situation, the Task, what you did (Action) and the Result.
If they choose you: a tentative offer, then a background check, then the final offer with your start date.
Tips for this job:
- Submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment if you want loan repayment help.
- Include your transcript and confirm your school is ACOTE-accredited if you use education to qualify.
- Submit the full application package by 11:59 PM ET on 01/08/2027, and update your application in USAJOBS after 90 days if still interested.
Kandidatu is an independent website: only the official posting counts. Read it before you apply.