What is the Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) program?

If your spouse or parent is a Veteran or servicemember who has died, is captured or missing, or has disabilities, you may be eligible for educational assistance you didn’t even know existed. While the GI Bill is a household word for military families, not everyone knows about the Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) program, another ticket to an affordable college education or job training.

Education Benefits for Survivors and Dependents

As a military family faces a sad chapter in life, education benefits are likely the last thing on their mind. Unfortunately, that means that Veterans’ survivors and dependents may miss out on the college education and job training assistance they so richly deserve. The DEA program and Fry Scholarship are two of the most valuable benefits available to them. Survivors and dependents who meet the criteria for these programs can get tens of thousands of dollars a year to help them achieve their educational goals and a higher quality of life.

Two Types of Educational Assistance Programs

If you’re a surviving spouse who qualifies for both the DEA (Chapter 35) program and the Fry Scholarship, you’ll need to pick one, and you can’t switch to the other program later. Children may be able to use both in some cases, one at a time (see the FAQ below).

The DEA program: It offers education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of Veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to a service-related condition, or who died while on active duty or as a result of a service-related condition, or who are missing or captured. You may receive up to 36 months of benefits if you began using the program on or after Aug. 1, 2018. If you started using the program before that date, you may receive up to 45 months of education benefits, which may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and correspondence courses. Remedial, deficiency, or refresher courses also may be covered, depending on the circumstances. Visit va.gov for information on the current rates and how they’re determined.

The Fry Scholarship: Formally known as the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship, it provides education benefits to children and surviving spouses of service members and members of the Selected Reserve who died on or after Sept. 11, 2001. You may qualify if your parent or spouse died in the line of duty while on active duty, died from a service-connected disability within 120 days of discharge or release from duty, or was a Selected Reserve member who died in the line of duty or from a service-connected disability.

If you’re eligible, you may receive up to 36 months of benefits for tuition and fees, housing, books and supplies, and more. Visit https://www.va.gov/family-and-caregiver-benefits/education-and-careers/fry-scholarship/ to check eligibility and current rates.

Who is Eligible for Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance?

To be eligible, you must be the child or spouse of a Veteran or service member who: is permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected disability; died as a result of a service-connected disability; died in the line of duty; is missing in action or was captured in the line of duty by a hostile force for more than 90 days; was forcibly detained or interned in the line of duty by a foreign entity for more than 90 days; or is hospitalized or receiving outpatient treatment for a service-connected permanent and total disability and is likely to be discharged for that disability.

Veterans include reservists, and National Guard members who are activated for federal service or who die/become disabled while on training status. Commissioned officers of the Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are also considered to be Veterans after they’re discharged. For more information, visit Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance at va.gov.

What Can DEA Benefits be Used For?

You can receive benefits for a wide variety of training, everything from college degree programs and certificate programs to apprenticeships and on-the-job training. Here are a few details:

• Degree programs, undergraduate and graduate, at colleges or universities, including cooperative training programs, full-time programs that alternate school instruction and training in a business or industry.
• Certificate programs at colleges, universities, and other degree-granting institutions, such as business, technical, or vocational schools.
• Accredited independent study programs that may be offered through distance education.
• Apprenticeships or on-the-job training (OJT) programs offered by companies or unions. These programs can offer an alternative to college or a vocational school to help you gain experience in a field that interests you.
• Other programs include correspondence courses (for spouses or surviving spouses), farm cooperative courses, and preparatory courses for college or graduate school entrance exams.

How do I Apply for the DEA Program?

To apply, your first step is to contact your school’s certifying official to make sure your program is approved for VA benefits. Afterward, you can apply for VA education benefits for dependents online.

To apply by mail, fill out a Dependents’ Application for VA Education Benefits (VA Form 22-5490) and mail it to: Department of Veterans Affairs, Claims Intake Center, PO Box 5215, Janesville, WI 53547. After you apply, tell your school’s certifying official so they can submit your enrollment information.

If you have more questions about the survivors and dependents educational assistance (DEA) program, please contact NU’s Veterans Affairs Office.