The Veda Patasalas are residential in nature. The students are provided free boarding, lodging, clothes and medical help. The children are enrolled when they are 7-8 years old and study for 9-10 years. During this stage, it is mostly memorization. The study is in the following sequential order: Sammhitai, Sakkai, Padam, Kramam, Ganam and Bhasyam. After Kramam, students pursue Ganam, alternatively, the best qualified students pursue Bhasyam.
In Ganam, the emphasis is on ways of recitation/chanting - after passing this stage, the students are referred to as Ganapadigal. Yagnas conducted with Ganapadigal's are supposed to be special. An alternative to Ganam after Kramam is Bhasyam. This is a higher level of study that is equivalent to a PhD and only the top students in a class pursue it. There are very few Bhasya Adhikari's and Ganapadigal's in India.
Siromani is an alternative course of study - this is essentially the study of Sanskrit in a more formal school setting, which is recognized by the state. For instance, Bharatidasan university specifies a syllabus for this level. The pre-requisite for enrolling in Siromani is that the student should have completed 8th grade in a regular state-recognized school. Here students start at 15-16 years of age and study for 5 years. They study the Sutras at this stage. Siromani is offered in 3 categories: Nyaya, Mimamsa and Vyakarana. Mimamsa refers to rituals, Nyaya refers to logic and Vyakarana refers to grammar. Sutras studied in this stage are Taraka Sutra, Mimamsa Paribhasa, Krishna Yajur Veda, Nirmita, Gautama Sutra, Jaimini Sutra and Vedanta Siromani. Siromani is equivalent to a B.A. in Sanskrit, and typically students complete an M. A. in Sanskrit within a year of completing Siromani.

Of the Veda Patasalas run by the Ashramam, the first one was started by Srimad Tirukkudanthai Andavan Swamivaru (9th Peetathipathi) in Srirangam in 1969. The present (11th) Peetathipathi, Srimad Srimushnam Andavan Swamivaru has since established several other Veda Patasalas in Vaduvur (2001), Kanchipuram (2002), Thiruchanoor (2002), Thiruvahindrapuram (2004), Srimushnam (2005), Maheshmal (2006), Uthiramerur (2006), Ambuga (2007) and Thirupullani (2008). There are 10 Veda Patasalas at present with 280+ vidyarthis.