If you are the dependent spouse or child of a Veteran then you might qualify for VA education benefits or job training through the GI Bill program. This is also known as Chapter 35. Keep reading to learn more about Chapter 35 and what you need to do to apply for benefits.
Who is eligible for Chapter 35?
You might be eligible for Chapter 35 benefits if you’re the child or spouse of a service member and one of the following is true.
The service member:
- Died in the line of duty after September 10, 2001, or
- Is missing in action or was captured in the line of duty by a hostile force, or
- Was detained (held) by force while in the line of duty by a foreign government or power, or
- 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. A service-connected permanent and total disability is a disability resulting from your service that doesn’t go away.
You might also be eligible for VA education benefits if you’re the child or spouse of a Veteran and one of the descriptions below is true of the Veteran.
- Is permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected disability, or
- Died while on active duty or as a result of a service-connected disability
If you don’t meet these criteria, don’t worry you may still qualify for VA education benefits. If the Veteran or service member transferred some or all of their Post-9/11 GI Bill entitlement to you while they were on active duty, then you are still able to use these benefits.
What benefits can you receive?
The benefits for dependents is very similar to what Veterans and Servicemembers receive from their GI Bills. Benefits include:
- Education and job training
- Money for tuition
- Money for housing
- Money for books and supplies
How do you apply?
There are 2 main GI Bill programs that offer educational assistance to survivors and dependents of Veterans. These are:
The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship) which is for children and spouses of:
- Active-duty service members who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001, or
- Members of the Selected Reserve who died from a service-connected disability on or after September 11, 2001
The Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program which offers education and training to qualified dependents of Veterans who:
- Are permanently and totally disabled because of a service-related condition, or
- Died while on active duty or as a result of a service-related condition
You may qualify for both of these programs, but you can use only one of them. You’ll have to pick one when you apply for and once you’ve made this decision, you can’t switch to the other program.
What is the difference between these two programs?
DEA
- Monthly payments are made directly to the student.
- Spouses have 20 years from the service member’s date of death if they died on active duty or 10 years from the Veteran’s date of death to utilize these benefits.
- Children may use the benefits from age 18 to 26.
- Benefits are eligible for 36 months.
- Programs covered include:
- College, business, technical, or vocational programs
- Certification tests
- Apprenticeships and on-the-job training
- Tutorial assistance
- Work study
Fry Scholorship
- Payments are made to the school to cover the full cost of in-state tuition up to $25,162.14.
- Money for books, supplies, and housing costs are paid directly to the student.
- There is no time limit for a spouse to use this benefit, but they lose access if they remarry.
- A child who became eligible for the benefit before January 1, 2013 can begin using the benefit when they turn 18 until they are 33. A child who became eligible after January 1, 2013 has no time limit.
- Maximum of 36 months to use benefits.
- Programs covered include:
- College, business, technical, or vocational programs
- Certification tests
- Apprenticeships and on-the-job training
- Vocational flight training
- Tutorial assistance
- Work study
To learn more about these benefits visit VA.gov.
Contact Us
Have a question about your Veteran benefits? You can email us today! If you are within one-year pre to post-military separation, you can enroll in our FREE program by setting up a call with one of our transition coaches.
