For the 2025–2026 award year, VA pays full-time Chapter 35 students $1,574 a month — money that goes straight to the spouse or child, not the school. Many military families never file for it, either because they don't know the benefit exists or because they assume it only applies to combat deaths. In reality, Chapter 35, formally called Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA), covers a much wider group: spouses and children of veterans rated permanently and totally disabled, as well as families of service members who died, went missing, or were captured in the line of duty. This guide lays out who qualifies, what evidence to gather, how to choose between DEA and the Fry Scholarship, and what happens after the application is submitted.
Key Takeaways
- Confirm eligibility through the sponsoring veteran's status: permanently and totally disabled, deceased from a service-connected cause, or missing/captured/detained in the line of duty.
- Gather the sponsoring veteran's rating decision or DD214/death record before starting the application, since VA verifies this before approving payments.
- Compare DEA against the Fry Scholarship before applying if the family died-on-active-duty event happened on or after August 1, 2011, since the choice between programs is generally binding.
- File VA Form 22-5490 online through VA.gov or by mail to the regional processing office covering the chosen school or home state.
- Track entitlement limits: 36 months of full-time benefits for training that started on or after August 1, 2018, and time limits that vary by whether eligibility began before or after August 1, 2023.
- Verify enrollment every month once benefits start, since VA will not release payment without it.
Table of Contents
- Eligibility and Who Qualifies
- Gathering the Right Evidence
- Filing Strategy: DEA vs. Fry Scholarship
- Step-by-Step Submission
- After You Apply: Certificate of Eligibility, Payments, and Appeals
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Eligibility and Who Qualifies
DEA eligibility runs through the sponsoring veteran or service member, and one of six conditions must apply to them: the veteran is rated permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected condition, the veteran died as a result of a service-connected disability, the service member died in the line of duty, the service member is missing in action or was captured by a hostile force for more than 90 days, the service member was forcibly detained by a foreign entity for more than 90 days, or the service member is hospitalized or in outpatient treatment for a service-connected permanent and total disability and is likely to be discharged for it. Any one of these opens the door for eligible spouses and children.
Rules That Differ for Children vs. Spouses
Children can be married or unmarried and generally must have turned 18 or completed high school to start using benefits, though anyone who became eligible on or after August 1, 2023 can use DEA at any age. A child receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) must give up those payments to draw DEA. Spouses face different rules: they can receive both DEA and DIC at the same time, but they lose DEA eligibility if they divorce the veteran, and in most cases if they remarry after the veteran's death — though benefits are restored if the new marriage occurred on or after January 1, 2004 and the spouse was at least 57, or if the new marriage later ends in death or divorce. Spouses cannot use DEA while the veteran is still in the process of being rated; eligibility depends on VA formally confirming the permanent and total status first.
Gathering the Right Evidence
Before applying, families should assemble the paperwork that proves both the sponsoring veteran's qualifying status and the applicant's relationship to them. VA cross-checks DEA eligibility against the veteran's compensation and pension record, so gaps in that record will stall an otherwise valid application.
Proving the Veteran's Qualifying Status
For a living veteran, the key document is the VA rating decision letter showing a 100% permanent and total (P&T) disability rating — not just a 100% schedular rating, since some 100% ratings are subject to future review and do not automatically confer DEA eligibility. Families who are unsure whether a veteran's rating is coded P&T should check the decision letter's future exam language or ask directly through VA.gov before filing. For a deceased or missing service member, VA looks for the DD214, the death certificate showing a service-connected or in-the-line-of-duty cause, or official military documentation of MIA/POW status.
Proving the Family Relationship
Spouses need a marriage certificate; children need a birth certificate or adoption decree establishing the relationship to the sponsoring veteran. If a divorce or remarriage has occurred, supporting court documents help VA apply the correct eligibility rule rather than defaulting to a denial. None of this evidence needs to be mailed separately in most cases — the online application allows families to answer eligibility questions directly, and VA pulls the veteran's rating status from its own systems, but having the documents on hand prevents delays if VA follow-up is needed.
Filing Strategy: DEA vs. Fry Scholarship
Families whose qualifying event involves a service member who died on active duty may be eligible for both Chapter 35 DEA and the Fry Scholarship, but the law does not allow drawing both benefits for the same months, and in most cases the choice between the two programs is binding once made. Fry Scholarship pays more like the Post-9/11 GI Bill: tuition paid directly to the school, a location-based monthly housing allowance, and a books-and-supplies stipend. Chapter 35 DEA instead pays a flat monthly stipend nationwide, with no separate housing or book payment, that the recipient can use however they need.
Which Program Pays More
For a student attending more than half-time at a school with significant tuition or an expensive housing market, Fry Scholarship generally pays more because of the housing allowance component. Chapter 35 can be the stronger option for less-than-half-time enrollment, low-cost programs, on-the-job training, apprenticeships, or licensing and certification test fees, where DEA's flat monthly payment covers costs that Fry's tuition-and-BAH structure is not built around. Families eligible for both should run the numbers for their specific school and enrollment plan on VA.gov before submitting, since switching later is limited. Spouses in particular should note they cannot use both programs and must pick one permanently, while children of a service member who died in the line of duty before August 1, 2011 get more flexibility, with a combined 81-month cap across both programs instead of a strict either/or election.
Step-by-Step Submission
Step 1: Confirm the sponsoring veteran's status. Verify the veteran's rating decision shows permanent and total status, or confirm the service member's death, MIA, or POW status through military records, before starting the application.
Choosing How to Apply
Step 2: Decide between the online application and VA Form 22-5490 by mail. The online path through VA.gov is faster in most cases and lets the system pull existing veteran records automatically. Families who prefer paper can download and complete VA Form 22-5490 and mail it to the regional processing office for the state where the chosen school is located, or the state of residence if no school has been chosen yet.
Completing and Submitting the Application
Step 3: List the intended school or training program if one has already been selected, since this determines where a paper application is routed and which regional office will process it.
Step 4: Submit the application and, once accepted at a school, notify the school's certifying official that a DEA application has been filed so the school can submit enrollment certification to VA online.
Step 5: Save the confirmation and expect a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) in the mail or online account once VA processes the application, which confirms the number of months of entitlement and the eligibility window.
After You Apply: Certificate of Eligibility, Payments, and Appeals
Once VA approves the application, the family receives a Certificate of Eligibility spelling out the total months of entitlement available and how much time remains before any applicable deadline. Standard entitlement is 36 months of full-time benefits for training that began on or after August 1, 2018, or 45 months for training that started earlier.
Getting Paid Each Month
Payment is not automatic once school starts. Recipients must verify their enrollment every month, and VA will not release that month's payment until verification is complete. Full-time enrollment at a college or university pays $1,574 per month for 2025–2026, three-quarter-time pays $1,244, half-time pays $912, and enrollment at a quarter-time or less pays $393.50, capped at the actual cost of tuition and fees. On-the-job training and apprenticeships pay on a declining schedule tied to how far along the trainee is in the program.
If the Application Is Denied
A DEA denial is most often tied to a documentation gap, such as a veteran's rating not being coded permanent and total, or a missing relationship document, rather than a true ineligibility. Families who receive a denial can request reconsideration, submit the missing rating or relationship evidence, or work with a Veterans Service Organization to identify exactly which eligibility requirement VA found unmet. Because DEA eligibility is tied directly to the veteran's own VA record, resolving an underlying rating question — for example, getting a 100% rating properly coded as permanent and total — can also resolve the DEA denial.
Every family's mix of veteran status, school choice, and program election looks different, and getting it right the first time avoids months of delay. Take the Free VA Claim Readiness Test at avoyvet.com to see where a family's eligibility picture stands and get a clear next step for filing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a veteran need a 100% rating to qualify their family for DEA?
Not exactly — the veteran needs to be rated permanently and totally disabled, which is different from simply holding a 100% schedular rating that could still be subject to future review. Some 100% ratings are permanent and total from the start, while others carry a future exam date and do not automatically qualify a family for DEA until VA confirms the permanent status. Families should check the rating decision letter for language about future exams or ask VA directly whether the 100% rating is coded as permanent and total before applying for DEA on that basis.
Can a spouse and child both use DEA benefits from the same veteran at the same time?
Yes, DEA entitlement is tracked separately for each eligible dependent, so a spouse and one or more children can each have their own months of entitlement and can use the program during overlapping periods. Each dependent applies individually with their own VA Form 22-5490 or online application, and each receives their own Certificate of Eligibility showing their personal entitlement total. There is no requirement that dependents use the benefit sequentially or that using it reduces another dependent's available months.
What happens to DEA benefits if the veteran's disability rating decreases below permanent and total?
Family eligibility depends on the veteran holding permanent and total status, so a downgrade could affect future eligibility, though benefits already certified for a term in progress are generally not immediately clawed back. Because permanent and total ratings are specifically designed to not require future review, a decrease is uncommon, but it is not impossible in cases involving fraud findings or clear and unmistakable error corrections. Families should contact VA promptly if the veteran's rating status changes to understand how it affects ongoing DEA eligibility for that specific case.
Is Chapter 35 DEA taxable income?
Chapter 35 DEA payments are generally not taxable at the federal level, similar to other VA education benefits, since VA education assistance payments are excluded from gross income under federal tax law. Recipients should still keep documentation of the benefit and consult a tax professional about how it interacts with education tax credits, since claiming certain education credits on expenses also paid by VA benefits can create complications. This is general information, not tax advice, and specific situations should be confirmed with a qualified tax preparer.
Can DEA be used for benefits at any college, or only VA-approved schools?
DEA can only be used at schools and training programs that VA has specifically approved, which is most, but not all, degree and non-degree programs. Families should use the GI Bill Comparison Tool on VA.gov to confirm a specific program is approved before enrolling, or contact the school's certifying official directly to ask which of its programs carry VA approval. Attending an unapproved program means DEA payments will not be available even if the applicant otherwise qualifies for the benefit.
How long does it take VA to process a Chapter 35 DEA application?
Processing time varies by regional office workload and whether the application requires manual verification of the veteran's rating or the service member's death record, but families should expect it to take several weeks rather than days. Applying online generally processes faster than mailing a paper VA Form 22-5490, since the online system can automatically retrieve the veteran's existing VA record instead of waiting on manual data entry. Applying as early as possible, ideally before the term in which benefits are needed, helps avoid a gap between enrollment and the first payment.
If eligible for both Chapter 35 DEA and the Fry Scholarship, can the choice be changed later?
For spouses, the election between the two programs is described by VA as generally not reversible once made. For children whose qualifying event was a service member's death in the line of duty before August 1, 2011, there is more flexibility, since both programs can be used up to a shared 81-month cap of full-time training. Because the spouse election is largely binding, VA and education advisors recommend comparing the specific dollar value of each program at the intended school before submitting an application, rather than switching afterward.
Educational information only — not legal, medical, or claim representation, and not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. For help filing or appealing, contact a VA-accredited VSO (often free), claims agent, or attorney. For current rates, forms, and deadlines, see VA.gov.
