Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance
If you’re the child or spouse of a Veteran or service member who has died, is captured or missing, or is permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected disability, you may be eligible for the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program. Keep reading to find out if the DEA program, also called Chapter 35, may be able to help you pay for school or cover expenses while you’re training for a job.
Am I eligible for education benefits through the DEA program?
You may be eligible for these benefits if both you and the Veteran or service member meet certain eligibility requirements.
One of these descriptions must be true for the Veteran or service member:
- The Veteran is permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected disability, or
- The Veteran died as a result of a service-connected disability, or
- The service member died in the line of duty, or
- The service member is missing in action or was captured in the line of duty by a hostile force for more than 90 days, or
- The service member was forcibly detained (held) or interned in the line of duty by a foreign entity for more than 90 days, or
- The service member is in the hospital or getting outpatient treatment for a service-connected permanent and total disability and is likely to be discharged for that disability
More eligibility information
If you’re the child
You can be married or unmarried.
If you join the military, you can’t use this benefit while you’re on active duty. And if you want to use this benefit after you leave the service, you can’t have a dishonorable discharge.
If you’re receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), you’ll need to give up those payments when you start to use DEA. Learn about DIC
When can I start using these benefits if I’m eligible as a child?
If you became eligible before August 1, 2023, one of these must be true for you to use these benefits:
- You’re 18 years old, or
- You completed high school or have a GED
If you became eligible or turned 18 years old or completed high school on or after August 1, 2023, you can be any age to use these benefits.
As an eligible child, is there a time limit for me to use these benefits?
It depends.
There’s no time limit if one of these is true:
- You became eligible for DEA benefits on or after August 1, 2023, or
- You turned 18 years old on or after August 1, 2023, or
- You completed high school or received your GED on or after August 1, 2023
Generally, you have up to 8 years to use your benefits before you turn 26 years old, if all of these are true:
- You became eligible for DEA before August 1, 2023, and
- You turned 18 before August 1, 2023, and
- You completed high school before August 1, 2023
In some cases, the 8-year time limit doesn’t end when you turn 26 years old. If any of these describe your situation, you may still be able to use DEA benefits after you turn 26 years old:
- You became eligible for DEA when you were between 18 and 26 years old, or
- Your parent died when you were between 18 and 26 years old, or
- You joined the military. In this case, you can use your DEA benefits up to 8 years from your discharge date as long as you’re under 31 years old.
Can I use both DEA benefits and the Fry Scholarship as an eligible child?
- If your parent was a service member who died in the line of duty before August 1, 2011, you may qualify for both the DEA program and the Fry Scholarship. But you can use only one benefit at a time. In this case, we cap combined DEA and Fry Scholarship benefits at 81 months of full-time training.
Learn about the Fry Scholarship - If your parent was a service member who died in the line of duty on or after August 1, 2011, you may use both DEA and the Fry Scholarship only if you qualify for DEA under a different event. You can use only one program at a time. In this case, we limit combined DEA and Fry Scholarship benefits at 48 months of full-time training.
If you’re the spouse
You can get both DEA and VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments. Learn about DIC
If you get divorced, you’ll no longer be eligible for DEA benefits.
If you join the military, you can’t use this benefit while you’re on active duty. And if you want to use this benefit after you leave the service, you can’t have a dishonorable discharge.
If the Veteran dies and you remarry, you’ll no longer be eligible for the DEA benefits that you qualified for through that eligible Veteran. There are 2 exceptions listed here. If you remarry after the Veteran dies, we’ll restore your remaining DEA benefits if either of these describes your situation:
- Your new marriage was on or after January 1, 2004, and you were at least 57 years old, or
- Your new marriage ends due to death or divorce
When can I start using these benefits if I'm eligible as a spouse?
Your benefits start on the date we determine that you’re eligible or on the date of the Veteran or service member’s death.
As an eligible spouse, is there a time limit for me to use these benefits?
It depends.
If the event that qualified you for DEA happened before August 1, 2023, there’s a time limit to use your benefits:
- In most cases, your benefits end after 10 years.
- If we rated the Veteran as permanently and totally disabled, and the Veteran later dies, you’ll get another 10 years of eligibility.
- If the service member died on active duty, your benefits end after 20 years.
- If we rated the Veteran as permanently and totally disabled, with an effective date that’s within 3 years after discharge from active duty, in most cases your benefits end 20 years from that effective date.
If the event that qualified you for DEA happened on or after August 1, 2023, there’s no time limit to use your benefits.
Can I use both DEA benefits and the Fry Scholarship as an eligible spouse?
No. You’ll need to pick one or the other. Once you make this choice, you can’t switch to the other program.
What benefits can I get?
You may be able to get a monthly payment to help you cover the cost of school or your expenses while you’re participating in on-the-job training or an apprenticeship.
Check the current payment rates for DEA
You can use your benefits for these programs, courses, and training:
- College or graduate degree programs
- Career-training certificate or diploma courses
- Apprenticeships
- On-the-job training
You can also use your benefits for these tests and courses:
- Licensing and certification tests
- National testing, like college admissions exams
- Preparatory courses (sometimes called “prep courses”)
If your school or training started before August 1, 2018, you may be able to get benefits for up to 45 months.
If your school or training started on or after August 1, 2018, you may be able to get benefits for up to 36 months.
Note: You may also get educational and career counseling.
Which schools can I attend using DEA benefits?
There are many schools with approved programs that you can use DEA benefits for. Make sure we’ve approved the program you’re interested in at the school you’d like to attend. You can use our GI Bill Comparison Tool to find out which schools have programs we’ve approved.
Use the GI Bill Comparison Tool to find schools with approved programs
You can also contact the school’s certifying official to ask them which of the school’s programs we’ve approved.
How do I get my monthly payment?
We’ll send your monthly payment directly to you.
If you’re enrolled in a non-college degree program, you’ll need to verify your enrollment every month to get payments.
Learn how to verify your enrollment for DEA benefits
If you’re enrolled in a college degree program, you don’t need to verify your enrollment to get DEA benefits.
How do I apply?
You can apply in 1 of these 2 ways:
Option 1: Apply online
Apply for VA education benefits for dependents online
Option 2: Apply by mail
Fill out a Dependents’ Application for VA Education Benefits (VA Form 22-5490).
Get VA Form 22-5490 to download
If you’ve already chosen a school, mail your completed form to the regional processing office in the state where your school or training program is. Find your regional processing office address
Then, tell the certifying official at your school that you applied for VA education benefits. Ask them to submit your enrollment information online.
If you haven’t chosen a school yet, mail your completed form to the regional processing office in the state where you live. Find your regional processing office address
When you choose a school, you’ll need to tell the certifying official at your school that you applied for VA education benefits. Ask them to submit your enrollment information online.
How can I get help with my application?
You can work with a trained professional called an accredited representative to get help applying for education benefits.