Veterans Claims Examiner

The Veterans Claims Examiner (VCE) position is located in the Education Division, Muskogee, OK . The incumbent adjudicates and authorizes claims for education programs and related VA benefits and provides information, advice and assistance about all VA education benefits to individuals or groups in person, by telephone or in writing. Identifies and resolves benefit delivery problems.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/09/2026 Specialized Experience: To qualify for the GS-07, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-5) or higher in the federal service, state or private sector.

Specialized Experience is defined as: (1) Reading, interpreting and applying laws, regulations, directives, manuals or training materials; AND (2) Developing information and evaluating evidence to determine a decision.

OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience by the following options: Undergraduate Degree with Superior Academic Achievement: Superior Academic Achievement: ranked in the upper 1/3 of your college class or major subdivision; or earned election to a national scholastic honor society that meets the requirements of the Association of College Honor Societies other than freshman honor societies; or earned a grade point average (GPA) of 2.95 or higher on a 4.0 scale based on all completed undergraduate courses, or all undergraduate classes completed during the final two years; or earned a GPA of 3.45 or higher on a 4.0 scale based on all completed undergraduate courses in your major, or all undergraduate courses in your major, completed during the final two years.

OR Graduate Education: Applicants must have at least one full academic year of graduate level education that demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to satisfactorily perform the work. One year of full-time graduate education is normally determined by the school you attended. If that number cannot be determined, 18 semester hours should be considered equivalent to one academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable on a pro-rated basis.

If you qualify based on your education, you must upload or fax a copy of your college transcript along with your application. If you are selected for the position, an official college transcript(s) will be required at your start date. OR Combination: Applicants may combine education and experience. If you have some, but not all, of the graduate education AND specialized experience described above, you may still qualify by combining the amount of creditable education and experience that you do have.

To do so, first calculate the percentage of qualifying education you have as a percentage of the education required. Next, calculate the percentage of specialized experience you have as a percentage of the experience required. Then, add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100% for you to qualify for the position at the grade GS-7 level.

For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate education (i.e., 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of acceptable specialized experience (i.e., 50% of the experience required) would satisfy the qualification requirements for the position. To qualify for the GS-09, applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-7) or higher in the federal service, state or private sector.

Specialized experience is defined as: (1) Interpret regulations and applying laws required to evaluate and recommend determinations of eligibility; (2) Evaluate and develop evidence to make eligibility determinations regarding benefits to complete claims under delegated authority. (3) Communicate in person, via phone, or electronically to explain program benefit entitlements and requirements.

OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience: A master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work in order to be substitutable. OR Combination: Applicants may combine education and experience.

If you have some, but not all, of the graduate education AND specialized experience described above, you may still qualify by combining the amount of creditable education and experience that you do have. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you can only use graduate level education that you have earned beyond the first year of your graduate studies). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages.

The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. For example, an applicant who has 27 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required beyond the first 18 credits hours required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position.

Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Full vs. Part-Time Employment: Full-time employment is considered to be at least 35 hours per week. Part-time experience will be credited on a pro-rated basis; when including part-time employment in your resume you must specify the average hours worked per week. Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.