Appointments of Individuals with Disabilities
Schedule A Hiring Authority
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is committed to building a workforce that is highly skilled, diverse, and inclusive. CFPB uses the Schedule A hiring authority for hiring people with disabilities. This authority allows for appointments for positions that are specifically excepted from the competitive service by law, the President, or the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
People with disabilities, veterans, and students are eligible to be appointed into Federal service using the Schedule A Excepted Service Appointment Authority. This appointment authority enables Federal agencies to expedite the hiring process and to ensure the Bureau’s hiring actions are inclusive of individuals with disabilities.
Please review this page to find information on questions you may have related to the Schedule A Hiring Authority.
What is Schedule A?
The Schedule A Hiring Authority (5 C.F.R. 213.3102(u)), or Schedule A, is an exception to the traditional hiring process for people with disabilities. Schedule A streamlines the hiring process for persons with disabilities and, in some instances, hiring officials may select solely from a list of qualified Schedule A applicants.
To apply under the authority, applicants must be a person with an intellectual disability, a severe physical disability, or a psychiatric disability. Other groups that may apply using the Schedule A appointment authority are disabled veterans with a 30% or more rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs or Department of Defense who also meet the Schedule A eligibility requirements. Select disabled veterans recently discharged with an honorable or general discharge may be hired through the Veteran Recruitment Act (VRA) appointment authority.
Individuals hired under the Schedule A Hiring Authority must complete a two-year trial period. Upon satisfactory completion, the employee can be non-competitively converted into the Competitive Service.
Schedule A Eligibility
To be eligible for appointment under this authority applicants are required to provide proof of disability documentation to specify that they are a person who (1) has a severe physical disability; (2) an intellectual disability; or (3) a psychiatric disability. The documentation does not need to detail the specific disability, medical history, or need for accommodation, however. The letter must clearly state that the applicant is eligible for appointment under this authority and that the eligibility is based on a severe physical disability; an intellectual disability; or a psychiatric disability. The documentation must be from: (a). Licensed medical professionals; or (b). State or private vocational rehabilitation specialists; or (c). Any Government agency (e.g., VA, etc.) that issues or provides disability benefits.
How to Apply
The Bureau encourages eligible applicants to visit the CFPB Jobs page to view current job openings. Applicants may apply to position(s) via www.USAJobs.gov . We encourage applicants to review all of the requirements and follow the directions stated in the job opportunity announcement to include required documentation when applying. The Bureau does not maintain a resume repository and therefore does not accept unsolicited resumes. For questions regarding the Schedule A Hiring Authority, please contact [email protected].
Reasonable Accommodations
CFPB is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants for jobs at CFPB as required by law and Bureau policy. Applicant requests for accommodation are processed by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service. The process for applicant requests can be found in each CFPB vacancy announcement posted on USAJobs.gov. To learn more, visit CFPB Reasonable Accommodations. If you have questions regarding reasonable accommodations, contact [email protected].
Resources
For more information, review USAJOBS Individuals with disabilities resources , or view the links below.
- Disability.gov
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Federal Schedule A Hiring Authority Fact Sheet: Tips for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities Interested in Starting a Career with the Federal Government (DOL)
- OPM, Disabilities Information
- State and Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies
- The Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
- U.S. Department of Labor Disability Resources
- Workforce Recruitment Program for Students