Your rating and your service open doors for your whole family, not just you: health coverage, income, and education for a spouse and children, plus what carries through for survivors. Every step here routes to the actual form and office, and help with a claim is always free.
Education only. Not the VA, not a government agency, and not financial, tax, or legal advice. Help with a VA claim or rating is always free through a VA-accredited Veteran Service Officer.
Tap a topic below to jump straight to the benefits and the exact steps to claim them.
In this section
If you're rated, the benefits don't stop with you. There's a whole second set of programs for your spouse, kids, and in some cases your parents, both while you're alive and after you're gone. Some of it you set up now (health coverage, a caregiver stipend, a survivor annuity election). Some of it your family only files after you pass. I built this guide so you can walk through every piece once, know exactly who qualifies for what, and know the exact form and office for each one. This is education only. I'm not the VA, not DoD, and not affiliated with either. Anything that touches your VA disability rating or a claim or appeal goes to a free VA-accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO), never a paid "advocate." Find one at VA.gov's VSO search.
CHAMPVA (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs) shares the cost of health care for eligible spouses and children of certain veterans. It is not the same thing as VA health care (that's for you, the veteran), and it does not stack with TRICARE (the Department of Defense, or DoD, family health program). A family qualifies for one or the other, never both.
Who qualifies (dependent side), any ONE of these:
Spouse or dependent child of a veteran rated Permanently and Totally disabled (P&T) from a service-connected condition. That means 100% disabling and not expected to improve, not just a current 100% schedular rating that's still subject to future review.
Surviving spouse or dependent child of a veteran who died from a service-connected disability.
Surviving spouse or dependent child of a veteran who, at time of death, was rated P&T from a service-connected disability.
Surviving spouse or child of a service member who died in the line of duty, not due to misconduct.
Dependent children lose CHAMPVA at 18 unless enrolled full-time in school (extends to 23). A child who became permanently unable to support themselves before age 18 due to a disability can keep it indefinitely. A surviving spouse who remarries at age 55 or older keeps eligibility. Once a beneficiary becomes Medicare-eligible, they must be enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B (or a Part C / Medicare Advantage plan) to keep CHAMPVA. VA — CHAMPVA overview
How to apply:
Step 1 - Confirm the veteran's P&T status. Pull the veteran's VA decision letter (or have the surviving spouse or child pull it) and confirm the rating says "Permanent and Total," not just "100%." If unsure, get it there at VA.gov — check your VA claim or appeal status, then come back here and continue with Step 2.
Step 2 - Get the application, VA Form 10-10d, Application for CHAMPVA Benefits. Get it there at VA.gov — CHAMPVA application (Form 10-10d), then come back here and continue with Step 3.
Step 3 - Gather the supporting documents: marriage certificate (spouse), birth certificates or school enrollment letters (children), the veteran's VA rating decision (or death certificate plus service-connected cause of death), and Medicare cards if applicable.
Step 4 - Submit the completed 10-10d and documents to the VHA Office of Community Care, CHAMPVA, PO Box 469063, Denver, CO 80246-9063, or upload through the VA.gov application portal linked in Step 2.
Step 5 - Once approved, you'll get a CHAMPVA ID card. Use it with any Medicare-participating or CHAMPVA-authorized provider. Call the CHAMPVA line at 1-800-733-8387 with questions.
What it costs: an outpatient and prescription deductible of $50 per person per calendar year (capped at $100 per family), no deductible for inpatient stays, a 25% cost-share on covered services after the deductible, and a $3,000 per-family catastrophic cap per calendar year, after which CHAMPVA pays 100%. Budget for the $3,000 worst case, not zero. VA — CHAMPVA costs
TRICARE is the DoD's health program for active-duty families, retirees, and their survivors. CHAMPVA and TRICARE are mutually exclusive. If your family qualifies for TRICARE, you are not eligible for CHAMPVA, so check this fork before assuming either applies.
Who's covered under TRICARE after a service member's death:
If the sponsor died on active duty, the spouse and children become "transitional survivors" for 3 years, keeping the same coverage and costs as an active-duty family, with no enrollment fees during this window. TRICARE — Survivors of Active Duty Service Members
After the 3-year transitional period, an active-duty sponsor's surviving spouse moves to retired-family-member coverage rules.
If the sponsor was a military retiree, the surviving spouse keeps TRICARE eligibility as long as they don't remarry; children keep it until they age out (or otherwise lose dependent status). TRICARE — Survivors of Retired Service Members
Surviving family members can also get the TRICARE Dental Program Survivor Benefit, with the government paying 100% of the monthly premium while enrolled.
How to sort out which program applies and get enrolled:
Step 1 - Determine the veteran or service member's death-in-service status: died on active duty, died as a retiree, or died as a veteran separated with a service-connected P&T rating (not on active duty and not drawing military retired pay). This determines TRICARE vs. CHAMPVA.
Step 2 - If TRICARE applies, update the family's status in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). This is required before any TRICARE coverage activates. Get it there at DEERS / ID Card Office Online or call the Defense Manpower Data Center support office at 1-800-538-9552, then come back here and continue with Step 3.
Step 3 - Choose or confirm a TRICARE health plan option for the survivor category using the official comparison tool at TRICARE — Death in the Family life event guide, which walks through exactly what changes and what to file.
Step 4 - If CHAMPVA applies instead (not TRICARE), go back to Section 1 above and file Form 10-10d.
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a tax-free monthly payment from the VA to an eligible surviving spouse, dependent child, and/or dependent parent of a service member or veteran whose death qualifies. It is a completely separate application from anything the veteran filed.
Every way a surviving spouse can qualify (the death has to fit ONE of these):
The service member died while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training.
The veteran died from a service-connected illness or injury.
The veteran did not die from a service-connected cause, but was rated totally disabled (100% schedular or Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability, TDIU) continuously for at least the 10 years immediately before death (the "10-year rule").
The veteran was rated totally disabled continuously since release from active duty and for at least 5 years immediately before death.
The veteran was a former prisoner of war who died after September 30, 1999, and was rated totally disabled for at least 1 year before death.
Death from the veteran's own willful misconduct can bar DIC even if one of the above is otherwise met. VA — About DIC; 38 CFR § 3.22
Marriage requirement for a surviving spouse (need both): lived with the veteran without a break until death (or was separated but not at fault), and the marriage either began within 15 years of the discharge from the period of service when the qualifying condition began, or lasted at least 1 year, or produced a child. Remarriage generally ends DIC, except if the survivor remarried on or after December 16, 2003 at age 57 or older, or on or after January 5, 2021 at age 55 or older. Those survivors keep DIC eligibility.
Who else can qualify:
Surviving children, unmarried, not already included on a surviving spouse's DIC award, under 18 (or under 23 if attending a VA-approved school), where the same qualifying-death rules above apply to the veteran or service member.
Surviving parents, biological, adoptive, or foster parent of a service member or veteran who died from an in-service or service-connected injury or illness. Parent DIC is income-tested rather than a flat rate; see the parent rate table at VA — DIC parent rates.
Current rates (effective December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026) are published at VA — DIC rates for spouses and dependents, with add-ons for each dependent child, Aid & Attendance, Housebound status, the "8-year provision," and a 2-year transitional benefit for spouses with dependent children. All DIC payments are federal income tax-exempt. I'm not going to reprint the exact dollar figures here since they update every December, so pull the current table at the link before budgeting off a number.
How to apply:
Step 1 - Get VA Form 21P-534EZ, Application for DIC, Death Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits. Get it there at VA.gov — Apply for DIC, Survivors Pension, or Accrued Benefits (Form 21P-534EZ), then come back here and continue with Step 2.
Step 2 - Gather documents: veteran's DD-214 (discharge paperwork), death certificate, marriage certificate (if applying as spouse), children's birth certificates (if applicable), and the veteran's VA disability rating decision letters if claiming under the 10-year, 8-year, or 5-year totally-disabled provisions. Continuous, well-documented rating history is exactly what VA checks under those rules.
Step 3 - File the form online through VA.gov's DIC application portal, by mail to the Pension Management Center that serves your state (listed on that same VA.gov page), in person at a VA regional office, or by uploading through the AccessVA QuickSubmit tool.
Step 4 - Get free help with the application or with documenting the veteran's rating history from an accredited VSO at VA.gov's VSO search. Never pay anyone for this.
DIC vs. Survivors Pension: Survivors Pension (also called Death Pension) is a separate, needs-based benefit for the surviving spouse or unmarried child of a wartime veteran that does not require a service-connected death, but is limited by income and net worth. A survivor generally cannot get both DIC and Survivors Pension for the same period; VA pays whichever is greater, and the same Form 21P-534EZ covers both, so let VA run the comparison rather than assuming you're disqualified from either. VA — Survivors Pension
The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) is a separate military-retirement survivor annuity run by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS). It is not a VA benefit and it is not DIC. It only exists if the veteran was a military retiree who elected (or was defaulted into) coverage, paid for out of retired pay.
Who qualifies and how it works:
SBP is elected by the retiring service member at retirement, using DD Form 2656, Data for Personal Retirement Notification, after mandatory retirement counseling. Without an affirmative decline (with spousal consent if married), a retiree is automatically enrolled.
Coverage can be elected for a spouse, spouse and children, children only, or a former spouse, depending on the retiree's choice at retirement.
Cost is deducted directly from the retiree's monthly retired pay and is roughly 2.5% of a threshold amount of the elected base plus 10% of the remaining base amount; premiums stop once the plan is "paid-up" (30 years of payments and the retiree reaches age 70).
Once declined, SBP generally cannot be re-elected later, so if you're a retiree who hasn't finalized this, it's worth revisiting now, not after the fact. DFAS — Survivor Benefit Plan; DFAS — SBP cost
SBP-DIC offset status: fully eliminated, effective January 1, 2023. For years, if a surviving spouse received both SBP and DIC, DoD reduced ("offset") the SBP annuity dollar-for-dollar by the DIC amount. This was known as the "Widow's Tax." The FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act repealed the offset on a 3-year phase-out (two-thirds reduction in 2021, one-third in 2022), and as of February 1, 2023 payments, the offset is gone entirely. Eligible surviving spouses now receive full SBP and full DIC concurrently, with no reduction. The bridge payment that existed during the phase-out (the Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance, SSIA) also ended once the offset was fully eliminated, since it's no longer needed. DFAS — SBP-DIC Offset Elimination Quick Reference; DoD Military Pay — SBP-DIC Offset Repeal FAQ
What to do about it:
Step 1 - If you're a retiree, confirm your SBP election is current and reflects your actual family situation (spouse, children, or a prior election you may have forgotten about). Get your election on record at DFAS — Survivor Benefit Plan, then come back here and continue with Step 2.
Step 2 - If your spouse is already a survivor receiving both SBP and DIC, confirm the DFAS annuity statement shows the full, non-offset amount (post-January 2023). If an old offset-era calculation still looks like it's on file, contact DFAS Retired & Annuitant Pay directly at 1-800-321-1080 to get it corrected.
Step 3 - Don't rely on any pre-2023 article, spreadsheet, or advisor note describing the dollar-for-dollar offset or the SSIA bridge payment as still active. Both are obsolete.
The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) pays a monthly stipend, gives the caregiver CHAMPVA health insurance access, and provides respite care and training to a family member (or qualifying non-relative) serving as the primary in-home caregiver of a seriously injured veteran. A separate, lower-tier program, the Program of General Caregiver Support Services (PGCSS), is open to caregivers of any veteran enrolled in VA health care regardless of rating, but pays no stipend, only training, coaching, peer support, and referrals.
Who qualifies for PCAFC (need both the veteran side and the caregiver side):
Veteran side: a single or combined VA service-connected disability rating of 70% or more, plus a documented need for in-person personal care for a minimum of six continuous months (inability to perform an activity of daily living, need for supervision due to a neurological or other impairment, or need for regular or extensive instruction or supervision to function safely), and enrollment in VA health care.
Caregiver side: at least 18 years old, and either related to the veteran by blood, marriage, or step-relationship, or living full-time with the veteran. A veteran may designate one Primary Family Caregiver and up to two Secondary Family Caregivers.
If the veteran is under 70% combined or doesn't meet the personal-care-need test, the caregiver can still use PGCSS for training, coaching, and respite resources, just without the stipend or the CHAMPVA-for-caregiver benefit.
The stipend itself: it's calculated from the OPM General Schedule GS-4, Step 1 pay rate for the locality area where the *veteran* lives, divided by 12, times a level multiplier (0.625 for Level One, 1.00 for Level Two, the higher tier for veterans VA determines are "unable to self-sustain in the community"). Because it depends on your specific locality and level, don't budget off a national average. Get your actual figure from the VA Caregiver Support Program. VA Caregiver Support Program — PCAFC Stipend methodology
How to apply:
Step 1 - Get VA Form 10-10CG, Application for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. Get it there at VA.gov — Apply for PCAFC (Form 10-10CG), then come back here and continue with Step 2.
Step 2 - Complete both the veteran or service member section and the caregiver applicant section. Every applicant (Primary and each Secondary Caregiver) needs their own section filled out.
Step 3 - Submit online through the link in Step 1, by mail, by fax, or in person at the nearest VA medical center's Caregiver Support Program office; find your local office through the VA Caregiver Support Line, 1-855-260-3274.
Step 4 - VA and a clinical team will schedule an in-home or clinical evaluation of the veteran's needs; VA must assign caregiver status no later than 90 days after receiving the application.
Step 5 - Once approved, enroll in direct deposit for the stipend through the official VA process at your local Caregiver Support Program office. The stipend only pays into the caregiver's own verified account, never a third party's.
Step 6 - If the veteran doesn't meet the 70% plus personal-care-need bar, apply instead for PGCSS support at VA.gov — Program of General Caregiver Support Services, no minimum rating required.
An unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran or service member can independently qualify for a VA home loan (backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, $0 down, no private mortgage insurance, and typically a full funding-fee exemption) using the veteran's earned entitlement.
Every way a surviving spouse can qualify:
Unremarried spouse of a veteran or service member who died in active service.
Unremarried spouse of a veteran whose death resulted from a service-connected disability.
Spouse who remarried on or after December 16, 2003 and on or after turning age 57. Remarriage under those conditions does not end eligibility.
Spouse of a service member who is currently listed as Missing in Action (MIA) or a Prisoner of War (POW) for more than 90 days.
Spouse of a veteran who was rated totally disabled for at least the 10 years immediately preceding death, or rated totally disabled continuously from discharge for at least 5 years before death (mirroring the DIC provisions in Section 3).
There is no expiration date on this entitlement once earned. VA — Home loans for surviving spouses
How to get your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and use the loan:
Step 1 - Get VA Form 26-1817, Request for Determination of Loan Guaranty Eligibility - Unmarried Surviving Spouses. Get it there at VA.gov — How to request a Certificate of Eligibility, then come back here and continue with Step 2.
Step 2 - Gather the veteran's DD-214, the marriage certificate, and the veteran's death certificate (and, if applying under the totally-disabled provisions, the VA rating decision letters showing the qualifying continuous period).
Step 3 - Submit the form and documents online through the eBenefits or VA.gov portal linked in Step 1, by mail to the VA regional loan center for your state, or through a VA-approved lender who can pull the COE on your behalf during a loan application.
Step 4 - Once you have the COE, shop for a VA-approved lender the same way any VA loan borrower would; the $0-down, no-PMI, funding-fee-exempt terms apply the same as they would to the veteran.
A veteran's spouse and dependent children can be buried in a VA national cemetery alongside (or ahead of) the veteran, and the family can also receive a monetary burial allowance, a burial flag, and a headstone or marker inscription. These are all VA National Cemetery Administration (NCA) benefits, separate from DIC and Survivors Pension.
Who qualifies:
The spouse of an eligible veteran is eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery even if the spouse remarries after the veteran's death, and even if the spouse predeceases the veteran.
Unmarried dependent children of an eligible veteran are eligible for burial, and in some cases unmarried adult dependent children who were permanently incapable of self-support also qualify.
A spouse or dependent buried in a national cemetery gets the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, and perpetual care at no cost, and their name and dates are inscribed on the veteran's headstone at no cost to the family. VA — Eligibility for burial in a VA national cemetery
How to arrange it (do this as far ahead as you can, not in the moment):
Step 1 - Confirm eligibility ahead of need with VA Form 40-10007, Application for Pre-Need Determination of Eligibility for Burial in a VA National Cemetery. Get it there at VA.gov — Apply for pre-need eligibility (Form 40-10007), then come back here and continue with Step 2. This step is optional but strongly reduces stress and delay at time of need.
Step 2 - At time of need, the funeral home typically coordinates directly with the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-800-535-1117 to schedule interment; you (or the funeral director) will need the veteran's DD-214 and the deceased family member's death certificate.
Step 3 - Apply for the burial allowance (a set VA payment toward plot or interment costs or transportation, paid to the eligible surviving spouse) using VA Form 21P-530EZ, Application for Burial Benefits. Get it there at VA.gov — Apply for burial benefits (Form 21P-530EZ), then come back here and continue with Step 4. Current allowance amounts are published at VA — Veterans burial allowance since they're periodically adjusted; verify the figure there rather than assuming an old amount is current.
Step 4 - Request a burial flag with VA Form 27-2008, Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes. Get it there at VA.gov — Request a burial flag, then come back here and continue with Step 5. The funeral director, a VA regional benefits office, or a U.S. Post Office flag-issuing station can process it; questions go to the VA benefits hotline at 1-800-827-1000.
Step 5 - If the veteran or a spouse or dependent is buried in a private (non-VA) cemetery and you want a government headstone, marker, or medallion, file VA Form 40-1330, Claim for Standard Government Headstone or Marker. Get it there at VA.gov — Order a headstone or marker, then come back here and continue with Step 6. Submit with a copy of the DD-214 by fax to 1-800-455-7143, by mail to the address on the form, or online via the AccessVA QuickSubmit tool; questions go to 1-800-697-6947.
Step 6 - Request a Presidential Memorial Certificate (a signed certificate honoring the veteran's service, available for the veteran's family to display) through VA.gov — Presidential Memorial Certificates, no cost, no deadline.
Print-and-take checklist
☐ Confirm the veteran's rating status (P&T vs. 100% schedular, and any totally-disabled continuous period) and keep the decision letters together in one folder. This single document set unlocks CHAMPVA, DIC, and the surviving-spouse home loan
☐ Determine TRICARE vs. CHAMPVA for the family's health coverage (Section 2) before assuming either applies
☐ If CHAMPVA applies: file VA Form 10-10d with marriage and birth certificates and the rating decision
☐ If TRICARE applies: update DEERS and pick a survivor health plan
☐ Gather DD-214, marriage certificate, and (if applicable) death certificate in one place now, before they're needed under pressure
☐ If a survivor may qualify for DIC or Survivors Pension: file VA Form 21P-534EZ (free VSO help available)
☐ If the veteran is a military retiree: confirm the SBP election on DD Form 2656 reflects the current family situation, and don't assume it's still being offset against DIC (the offset ended February 1, 2023)
☐ If caregiving needs may arise: check the 70% combined-rating plus personal-care-need bar for PCAFC (Form 10-10CG) vs. the no-minimum PGCSS support track
☐ If a surviving spouse may need to buy a home: request the Certificate of Eligibility now (VA Form 26-1817) rather than waiting
☐ File VA Form 40-10007 for pre-need cemetery eligibility so burial logistics aren't a scramble later
☐ Know where to get the burial allowance (Form 21P-530EZ), burial flag (Form 27-2008), and headstone or marker (Form 40-1330) when the time comes
☐ Never pay anyone to file a claim, rating appeal, or survivor application. Use a free VA-accredited VSO at va.gov/vso
This guide is for education only. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a substitute for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any other government agency, and it is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Programs, forms, rates, and eligibility rules change; always confirm current details at the official .gov links above before relying on them. Filing or appealing a VA disability rating should always go through a free VA-accredited Veterans Service Organization, never a paid company. Be alert for "pension poaching": anyone who charges a fee to help you or a survivor apply for VA benefits, or who pushes you to move assets into a trust or annuity to artificially qualify for a needs-based benefit like Survivors Pension, is running a scam. VA benefits are paid only directly to the veteran, survivor, or their court-appointed or VA-accredited fiduciary, never into a third party's account. Report suspected fraud to the VA Office of Inspector General or the Federal Trade Commission.
In this section
If you're a disabled veteran, your service can unlock education money for your spouse and kids, not just for you. There are four separate programs that do this, and they don't all work the same way or pay the same rate. Some are gated by your disability rating, some by your service history, and one only applies if a service member died in the line of duty. Picking the wrong one, or missing a deadline, can permanently lock your family into a lower-value benefit or lose the option entirely. This guide walks through each program, exactly how to apply, and the traps to watch for so you and your family can make an informed choice. This is education only. I have no government, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), or Department of Defense (DoD) affiliation, and nothing here is legal, tax, or financial advice.
Do this first, before you file any form. These four programs draw from different eligibility rules and different pay rates, and some choices are irreversible once made.
Step 1 - Understand Chapter 33, the Post-9/11 GI Bill. This is the veteran's own education benefit, earned by the veteran's own active-duty service. It pays the veteran's own schooling. It's the benefit that can be transferred to a spouse or child (see Section 3). Post-9/11 GI Bill overview
Step 2 - Understand Chapter 35, Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). This is a separate benefit paid directly to the spouse or child of a veteran rated Permanent & Total (P&T) for a service-connected disability (100% schedular, or total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) coded permanent and total), or who died, is missing, or is a prisoner of war in connection with service. It is not the veteran's GI Bill handed over. It has its own eligibility gate and its own, lower monthly rate table. DEA (Chapter 35) overview
Step 3 - Understand the Fry Scholarship. This pays at the same rate table as the Post-9/11 GI Bill (full tuition plus housing allowance, not the lower DEA rate). It's for the spouse or child of a service member who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001. It is not tied to a disability rating at all, it's tied to a service-connected death. Fry Scholarship overview
Step 4 - Understand the Yellow Ribbon Program. This is voluntary matching money between a participating school and the VA that covers tuition and fee gaps above the Post-9/11 GI Bill's private-school or out-of-state, non-resident cap. It's only available to veterans and dependents who qualify at the 100% benefit level. It is not a standalone benefit, it's an add-on layered on top of Chapter 33, transferred Chapter 33, or Fry. Yellow Ribbon Program overview
Step 5 - Note the one hard rule that connects all of this: DEA pays materially less than Chapter 33 or Fry. As of the 2025-2026 rate year, DEA pays a flat monthly rate regardless of school cost, while Chapter 33 and Fry pay net tuition and fees in full at public schools plus a housing allowance on top. Confirm the current DEA rate on the official page before budgeting (see Section 2, Step 8). If your family has a choice between DEA and a transferred Chapter 33 benefit for the same dependent, run the math before picking, because picking DEA over an available transfer can leave real money on the table. Chapter 35 DEA rates · Post-9/11 GI Bill rates
This is the benefit most directly triggered by your own disability rating. If you're rated Permanent & Total (P&T), meaning 100% schedular or total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) with a permanent-and-total designation, your spouse and/or children may separately qualify. This runs on its own entitlement pool, separate from your own Chapter 33 GI Bill, so in many cases a family can use both at once (confirm current combination rules for your situation before assuming this, see Step 6 below).
Step 1 - Confirm the qualifying event. DEA eligibility opens if the veteran is rated P&T for a service-connected disability, died of a service-connected cause, is missing in action, is a prisoner of war, or is hospitalized/being discharged with a disability likely to be rated P&T. DEA eligibility
Step 2 - Check the time window that applies to your family member. For qualifying events on or after August 1, 2023, there is no age limit for children and no time limit to use the 36 months, and no time limit for spouses either. For events before August 1, 2023, children generally must start at 18 (or on high-school completion) and finish before turning 26, with some extensions available, and spouses generally have 10 years from the date VA finds them eligible (20 years for an active-duty death, or up to 20 years from the P&T effective date if the veteran was rated P&T within 3 years of discharge). If you're near one of these cutoffs, confirm the exact rule for your event date directly on the VA page before assuming either way. DEA time limits
Step 3 - Gather what you'll need: the veteran's VA file number or Social Security number, the veteran's rating decision showing P&T status (or death/missing-in-action/prisoner-of-war documentation), the dependent's Social Security number, and school/program information if already chosen.
Step 4 - File VA Form 22-5490, Dependents' Application for VA Education Benefits. Apply online at va.gov/education/how-to-apply (select "Apply for Education Benefits," answer the routing questions, and you'll land on form 22-5490), or download and mail the paper form. If you've already picked a school, mail to the VA regional processing office for the state where the school is located; if not, mail to the office for the state where the dependent lives. Apply for DEA/Fry - Form 22-5490 · Form 22-5490 (PDF)
Step 5 - Watch the election box on the form. If the dependent could also qualify for Fry Scholarship (see Section 4), Form 22-5490 forces a choice between Chapter 35 (DEA) and Fry. That checkbox is described on the form as an irrevocable election in most cases, you generally cannot switch later. Do not check a box without reading Section 5 of this guide first.
Step 6 - Once approved, tell your school's VA certifying official (usually in financial aid, the registrar, or a veterans' services office) that you've applied, so they can certify your enrollment to VA.
Step 7 - New for 2026: DEA recipients must verify their enrollment monthly to keep payments flowing, a process change effective late January 2026. Get set up for this the first month you're certified so a missed verification doesn't stall a payment that you're otherwise fully eligible for. Chapter 35 enrollment verification change
Step 8 - Check the current DEA pay rate before budgeting. DEA pays a flat monthly rate that steps down for three-quarter-time, half-time, and on-the-job training/apprenticeship, and the table is updated annually (the rate year runs October 1 to September 30). Benefits run 36 months (45 months if training began before August 1, 2018). Pull the exact current figures from the official page rather than relying on any number quoted elsewhere. Chapter 35 DEA rates
This is not gated by disability rating at all, it's gated by your service status, and it has a hard timing trap: you generally cannot start this process after you've separated or retired. If you're still on active duty or in the Selected Reserve and haven't done this yet, treat it as time-sensitive.
Step 1 - Confirm you meet the service-length test: 6+ years of service with a commitment to serve 4 more, OR already 10+ years of service and precluded by policy from committing to 4 more (in which case the additional-service requirement is waived). Purple Heart recipients (awarded on or after September 11, 2001) skip the service-length test entirely but must still request the transfer while on active duty. Transfer eligibility
Step 2 - While still on active duty or in the Selected Reserve, submit your Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB) request at milConnect, then come back here and continue with Step 3. This is a Department of Defense (DoD) process, not a VA one, DoD approves or denies it and your request routes to your branch's personnel command. Approval typically takes about 30 days, and your additional service obligation (if any) begins on the approval date. milConnect
Step 3 - Decide how many months (up to your full 36) go to which dependent, and split them however fits your family. You can revise the allocation later, generally while you're still serving, through milConnect.
Step 4 - Once DoD approves the transfer, your spouse or child applies for their share using VA Form 22-1990e, Application for Family Member to Use Transferred Benefits. Apply online at va.gov/family-and-caregiver-benefits/education-and-careers/transferred-gi-bill-benefits/apply-form-22-1990e (the dependent needs their own Login.gov or ID.me account), or mail the paper form to the VA regional processing office for the school's state, then come back here and continue with Step 5.
Step 5 - Know the usage rules that differ from your own Chapter 33 benefit: a spouse can start using transferred months immediately, even while you're still serving, but does not draw the Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) while you remain on active duty. A child generally cannot start using transferred months until you've completed 10 years of service, and must use them between high-school completion (or age 18) and age 26, a hard cutoff regardless of months remaining. Transferred benefits for family members
Step 6 - If you are already separated or retired and never submitted the milConnect transfer request while serving, this door is generally closed. There is no retroactive transfer after separation, even if you're later rated Permanent & Total. Your family's options at that point run through Chapter 35 DEA (Section 2) instead, if you qualify.
This is not a disability-rating benefit, it's a survivor benefit, and it pays at the full Chapter 33 rate, not the lower DEA rate. It applies if you are the spouse or child of a service member or Selected Reserve member who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001.
Step 1 - Confirm the qualifying event: a service-connected death in the line of duty on or after 9/11/2001. Fry Scholarship eligibility
Step 2 - Gather the sponsor's service and death documentation (DD214, death certificate showing line-of-duty status, and a Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) award letter if you have one) and the dependent's Social Security number.
Step 3 - File the same VA Form 22-5490 used for DEA. Apply online at va.gov/education/how-to-apply or mail the paper form to the regional processing office for the school's state (or the dependent's state of residence if no school is chosen yet). Apply for DEA/Fry - Form 22-5490
Step 4 - If the death occurred on or after August 1, 2011, and the child does not separately qualify for DEA under a different event, only Fry applies, there's no election to make. If the death occurred before August 1, 2011, the child may qualify for both DEA and Fry, but Form 22-5490 requires picking one, the election is treated as irrevocable, and combined usage across both programs (if you switch prior to locking in, or under specific transition rules) is capped at 81 months total. If the death occurred on or after August 1, 2011 and the child separately qualifies for DEA under a different event, the combined cap is 48 months. Confirm your exact scenario on the official page before checking a box on the form, this determines a permanent choice. DEA/Fry combination rules
Step 5 - Check current Fry rates before budgeting. Fry uses the same table as Chapter 33: full net tuition and fees at public schools, a private/foreign-school cap, flight-training and correspondence-course caps, a Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) based on the E-5-with-dependents Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rate for the school's zip code, and a books/supplies stipend. The rate year runs August 1 to July 31 and figures update annually, so pull the current-year numbers directly from the official page. Fry Scholarship rates
This only applies to the narrow case in Section 4, Step 4: a sponsor's death before August 1, 2011, where a child could elect either program. This is the single highest-stakes election trap in this guide because it's permanent.
Step 1 - Before submitting Form 22-5490, compare the two rate tables side by side: DEA's flat monthly rate versus Fry's full-tuition-plus-BAH-housing structure. For most school situations, Fry pays substantially more, but run your own numbers using the official rate pages linked in Sections 2 and 4.
Step 2 - Consider Yellow Ribbon eligibility as part of the comparison. Fry Scholars can potentially access Yellow Ribbon matching funds (Section 6) if the underlying 100%-level qualification is met; DEA does not connect to Yellow Ribbon at all. This can widen the value gap further for private or out-of-state schools.
Step 3 - If you have any doubt about which program applies to your family's specific event date, or whether the 81-month or 48-month combined cap applies to you, call VA education benefits at 1-888-442-4551 or work with a school's VA certifying official before submitting the form. Do not guess on an irrevocable election.
Step 4 - Once you've decided, complete Step 4 in Section 4 (or Step 4 in Section 2) and check the corresponding box on Form 22-5490.
This step only matters if the underlying benefit (your own Chapter 33, a transferred Chapter 33, or Fry) doesn't fully cover tuition, typically at a private school, a graduate program, or an out-of-state public school charging non-resident rates.
Step 1 - Confirm you or your dependent qualifies at the 100% Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit level. This is reached through 36+ months of aggregate active duty after September 10, 2001, a Purple Heart, honorable discharge for a service-connected disability after at least 30 continuous days of active duty, being a dependent using transferred benefits from a veteran who qualifies at 100%, or being a Fry Scholar. Yellow Ribbon eligibility
Step 2 - Confirm you have your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from VA showing the 100% benefit level. If you don't have one yet, get it there through your existing Chapter 33, transfer, or Fry application (Sections 2 through 4), then come back here and continue with Step 3.
Step 3 - Search the participating schools list to confirm your target school participates, and check the school's specific enrollment cap and per-student contribution amount for the current year, then come back here and continue with Step 4. Participation and dollar amounts are set annually by each school and are first-come, first-served. Yellow Ribbon participating schools list
Step 4 - Contact the school's VA certifying official directly, before or during the admissions process, typically located in financial aid, the registrar's office, or a veterans' services office. Bring your Certificate of Eligibility and ask to apply for their Yellow Ribbon allocation.
Step 5 - Complete whatever application process that specific school requires, every school runs its own process and its own timeline. Earlier is better since slots are limited and awarded first-come, first-served.
Step 6 - Understand the mechanics: the school voluntarily contributes an amount toward the tuition/fee gap above the GI Bill's private-school or out-of-state cap, and VA matches that contribution dollar for dollar, with no fixed ceiling on the matched amount. There's no separate VA form for Yellow Ribbon, it's administered through the school. Yellow Ribbon Program overview
Step 7 - If accepted, confirm with the certifying official that the award renews automatically each year you maintain satisfactory academic progress and the school stays in the program, so you're not caught off guard needing to reapply.
Many states run their own tuition waiver or scholarship programs for the spouses and children of disabled or deceased veterans, separate from anything VA pays, and these can stack with federal benefits. Rules vary enormously by state: some require the veteran to be rated 100% or P&T, some set residency-duration requirements, some cap eligible age or credit hours, and some only cover state schools.
Step 1 - Look up your state's dependent tuition waiver program specifics (eligibility, application, and where to apply) on the Benefits by State page, then come back here and continue with Step 2. Benefits by State on Rated, Now What
Step 2 - Confirm with your state's veterans affairs office or your target school's veterans services office whether the state waiver can be used alongside federal Chapter 33, transferred benefits, DEA, or Fry, some states reduce their waiver dollar-for-dollar against federal benefits received, others don't.
Step 3 - Apply for the state waiver on its own timeline, state programs often have separate deadlines from VA's rolling application process and may need to be renewed each term or year.
Step 1 - Your own Chapter 33 and a dependent's Chapter 35 DEA can potentially run at the same time for the same family, since they draw on different entitlement pools (yours vs. theirs). Confirm current program-combination rules on the official DEA page before assuming both run simultaneously for your specific situation, this is general structure, not a guarantee for every case. DEA overview
Step 2 - A transferred Chapter 33 benefit and Chapter 35 DEA generally cannot both be used by the same dependent for the same purpose, if a spouse or child qualifies for a transfer from you, that's typically the higher-value path versus DEA (see Section 1, Step 5). Whether a specific dependent qualifies for both and must choose depends on their individual eligibility, confirm before assuming either way.
Step 3 - DEA and Fry, when both are technically available to the same child (only possible when the sponsor's death was before August 1, 2011), require a single irrevocable election on Form 22-5490 (Section 5).
Step 4 - Yellow Ribbon is never a standalone choice, it only layers on top of an underlying 100%-level Chapter 33, transferred Chapter 33, or Fry benefit (Section 6). It does not layer on top of DEA.
Step 5 - State tuition waivers (Section 7) generally stack independently on top of any of the above, but confirm state-specific offset rules before counting on full stacking.
Step 1 - Don't assume your disability rating alone unlocks the ability to transfer your Chapter 33 GI Bill. Transferability is a service-length and status test controlled by DoD, not VA, and a Purple Heart doesn't remove the requirement to request the transfer while still on active duty.
Step 2 - Don't wait until after separation or retirement to request a Post-9/11 GI Bill transfer. This is the single most commonly missed deadline in this space, once you're out, the milConnect transfer request generally cannot be initiated, even if you're later rated Permanent & Total.
Step 3 - Don't confuse DEA with a transferred GI Bill. They are different programs with different rate tables, DEA is not "the veteran's GI Bill months handed over."
Step 4 - Don't check a DEA-vs-Fry election box on Form 22-5490 without confirming your exact scenario first (Section 5). It is generally irrevocable.
Step 5 - Don't skip the monthly enrollment verification if you're on DEA. As of late January 2026, missing it can delay or stop a payment even though underlying eligibility hasn't changed (Section 2, Step 7).
Step 6 - Don't enroll at a school, or sign with a paid "GI Bill optimizer" or "benefits specialist," without checking it out first. VA has repeatedly warned about low-value programs that aggressively recruit GI Bill users, and about companies charging fees to help file or maximize education benefits. A VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) can help with benefits questions for free, find one at va.gov/get-help-from-accredited-representative. Report suspected fraud to VA at 1-800-827-1000 or vsafe.gov. VA fraud prevention · Protect your G.I. Bill benefits from scams
Print-and-take checklist
☐ Identify which program(s) your family may qualify for: Chapter 35 DEA (your P&T rating), transferred Chapter 33 (your service status, must act while still serving), Fry Scholarship (a service-connected death), or a combination
☐ If you're still on active duty or Selected Reserve and haven't transferred Chapter 33 benefits, go to milConnect now, this option closes at separation
☐ Gather documents: veteran's VA file number/SSN, rating decision or death/missing-in-action/prisoner-of-war documentation, dependent's SSN, DD214 if applicable
☐ For DEA or Fry: file VA Form 22-5490 online at va.gov or by mail to the correct regional processing office
☐ For a transfer already approved by DoD: have your spouse or child file VA Form 22-1990e
☐ If eligible for both DEA and Fry, compare rate tables before checking either election box, it is generally irrevocable
☐ Confirm your school's VA certifying official has your application on file once approved
☐ If DEA, set a recurring reminder for monthly enrollment verification
☐ If qualifying at the 100% benefit level, check the Yellow Ribbon participating schools list and contact the certifying official before enrolling at a private/out-of-state/graduate program
☐ Look up your state's dependent tuition waiver at ratednowwhat.com/benefits-by-state and confirm how it stacks with federal benefits
☐ Verify every dollar figure and deadline above on the linked va.gov page before relying on it, rates and rules change annually
☐ If this involves filing or increasing the veteran's own VA disability rating, work with a free VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer, never a paid "optimizer"
This guide is for education only. I am not the VA, the Department of Defense, or any government agency, and I have no affiliation with them. Rules, rates, and deadlines change, always confirm current details at the official va.gov links above before you rely on them. This is not legal, tax, or financial advice, and it is not help with a VA disability claim or rating, for that, use a free VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer, never a paid claims coach. Be especially wary of anyone charging a fee to "optimize" your benefits, pushing you into an annuity or investment product tied to your VA income, or offering to help with pension or benefits paperwork for a cut of the proceeds. Legitimate help with these benefits is free. If something feels like a sales pitch wrapped around a benefit, slow down and verify independently before signing anything.
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