SEAL Program Texas Workforce: Summer Earn and Learn for Students with Disabilities

What SEAL Is

SEAL stands for Summer Earn and Learn. It is a paid summer work experience program run by the Texas Workforce Commission Vocational Rehabilitation Services (TWC-VRS) as part of the federally mandated Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) program under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

SEAL connects students with disabilities to real workplace environments during the summer months. Students receive paid work experience — actual wages for actual work — alongside structured training in workplace readiness, self-advocacy, and career exploration. The goal is competitive integrated employment after graduation, not sheltered or segregated settings.

Who Is Eligible

SEAL is open to students with disabilities who meet these criteria:

• Age: 14 to 22 years old (aligned with the Pre-ETS eligibility window)
• Disability: Must have a documented disability — this includes students with IEPs, 504 plans, or any qualifying condition under the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Enrollment: Must be enrolled in an educational institution (public school, private school, homeschool, or GED program)

Students do not need to be active VR clients to participate in SEAL. Pre-ETS services, including SEAL, are available to all eligible students regardless of whether they have applied for formal vocational rehabilitation services.

What SEAL Includes

The program typically runs during summer break and combines:

Paid work experience: Students are placed at community worksites — retail stores, offices, restaurants, nonprofits, government agencies — where they work alongside non-disabled employees. Wages are funded through VR program budgets, so the employer's cost is reduced or eliminated.

Workplace readiness training: Students learn professional expectations — attendance, punctuality, communication, problem-solving, taking direction, and workplace safety.

Career exploration counseling: Before or during the summer, students receive guidance on career options that match their interests, abilities, and goals.

Self-advocacy instruction: Students practice speaking up for themselves — requesting accommodations, communicating their needs to supervisors, understanding their rights in the workplace.

These four components are drawn from the five core Pre-ETS areas defined by WIOA. The fifth core area — counseling on postsecondary opportunities — is typically addressed through the school-year Pre-ETS program rather than during SEAL.

How to Apply

There are two paths into SEAL:

Through the school: Many school districts coordinate with their local TWC-VRS office to identify students who would benefit from SEAL. The school's transition coordinator or special education teacher may initiate the referral as part of the IEP transition plan.

Self-referral through TWC: Families can apply directly through the TWC "Start My VR" portal or by contacting their nearest TWC-VRS office. You can find the closest office using the TWC office locator at twc.texas.gov/find-locations.

Applications should be submitted in the spring, before summer break begins. Program spots are limited and fill on a first-come basis in many service areas.

How SEAL Connects to the Transition Plan

SEAL is one piece of a broader pre-employment transition framework. Under Texas law, the ARD committee must begin addressing transition goals in the IEP by age 14. The IEP should include measurable postsecondary goals in employment, education/training, and independent living.

SEAL provides the practical work experience that supports those IEP goals. When a student completes SEAL, the experience becomes part of their employment portfolio — evidence of workplace competency that strengthens their transition to adult employment services through TWC-VRS or competitive integrated employment.

For students receiving SSI, the wages earned during SEAL interact with SSI's work incentive rules. The Student Earned Income Exclusion allows students under 22 who attend school regularly to exclude up to $2,350 per month (up to $9,430 per year in 2026) from countable income. For most SEAL participants, this means summer wages do not reduce the SSI check.

Beyond SEAL: The Full Pre-ETS Menu

SEAL is the most visible Pre-ETS program, but TWC-VRS offers Pre-ETS services year-round:

• Career exploration counseling
• Work-based learning experiences (including internships and job shadowing outside of summer)
• Counseling on postsecondary opportunities (college, vocational programs, certification programs)
• Workplace readiness training
• Self-advocacy instruction

These services are available from age 14 through 22 and do not require a formal VR application. They are designed to run alongside the school's transition plan so that by the time the student exits special education, they have real work history and practical skills.

For a complete picture of how Pre-ETS, SEAL, and vocational rehabilitation fit into the SSI age-18 transition, the Texas SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide walks through the full employment and benefits coordination timeline.

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