The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) is a federal agency under the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, and is headquartered within the Department of Education in Washington, D.C. It was established to administer portions of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Its mission is to provide leadership and resources to assist state and other agencies in providing vocational rehabilitation (VR) and other services to individuals with disabilities to maximize their employment, independence and integration into the community and the competitive labor market.

RSA is charged with: administering formula and discretionary grant programs authorized by Congress; evaluating, monitoring, and reporting on the implementation of Federal policy and programs and the effectiveness of vocational rehabilitation, supported employment, and other related programs for individuals with disabilities; coordinating with other Federal agencies, State agencies, and the private sector including professional organizations, service providers, and organizations of persons with disabilities for the review of program planning, implementation, and monitoring issues.

RSA provides national leadership for, and administration of: basic state and formula grant programs—including grants to state vocational rehabilitation agencies --, rehabilitation training discretionary grant programs, Randolph–Sheppard Act vending facilities, and Helen Keller National Center (CITE) programs.

The grant programs under the RSA's purview are in various areas such as technical assistance centers, demonstration projects, training, client advocacy, and underserved populations. The largest program the RSA manages is the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program, which mainly assists in engage in gainful employment. If a state is unable to serve all disabled individuals, priority is given to individuals with the most significant disabilities.

Prior to the establishment of the RSA, the passage of legislation played a key role in laying the groundwork for the federal and state partnership. The Smith-Hughes Act in 1917 helped to establish the Federal Board for Vocational Education, which would later regulate the veteran and civilian vocational rehabilitation programs. Coinciding with World War I, The Federal Board for Vocational Education oversaw a vocational rehabilitation program for disabled veterans under the Soldier's Rehabilitation Act of 1918. In 1920, the Smith-Fess Act (the Civilian Vocational Rehabilitation Act) expanded the purview of the Federal Board for Vocational Rehabilitation to oversee a civilian vocational rehabilitation program to be funded on a 50-50 matching basis with the states. Congress would need to periodically vote to extend funding because it was not permanent at this time.

The Randolph–Sheppard Act in 1936 and the Wagner-O'Day Act in 1938 helped to prioritize employment of visually impaired individuals to operate vending stands in federal buildings, and required federal agencies to buy certain products from nonprofit organizations that employed people who are blind, respectively. These acts gave way to the establishment of the National Industries for the Blind. The National Industries for the Blind employed blind Americans who made and sold products under the business name Skilcraft.

In 1954, Public Law 565 increased the 50-50 matched funding from the federal government to 3 federal dollars for every 2 state dollars, and expanded services to those with intellectual disabilities. The Act authorized grants for research and educational training for rehabilitation counselors-to-be in universities. As the Director of the U.S. Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Mary Switzer released funds for more than 100 university-based rehabilitation-related programs and was a strong advocate for improving quality of life for people with disabilities.

In 1965, Public Law 89-333 expanded federal funding to a 75-25 ratio. It also removed economic need as a requirement for services.