If you are the spouse or child of an Alabama Veteran rated 40 percent or higher for a service-connected disability, the state of Alabama will pay your college tuition (up to $400 per credit hour), required textbooks, and instructional fees for up to 10 semesters. That is five academic years, worth up to $14,000 per year at full-time enrollment, and one of the most generous state dependent education benefits in the country. The program dates back to 1947 and does not require the Veteran to be 100 percent disabled.
What it is
The Alabama GI Dependents' Scholarship Program is a state education benefit administered by the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) under Code of Alabama 1975, Sections 31-6-1 through 31-6-17. According to the ADVA administrative rule, it "provides qualifying dependents of disabled Alabama veterans tuition, required books, and instructional fees at qualifying universities, community colleges, and technical schools."
The benefit belongs to the dependent, not the Veteran. A dependent means a natural born or adopted child, a stepchild, a spouse, or an un-remarried widow or widower of a qualifying Veteran. Each eligible child can use it, so a household with three college-bound kids could see this benefit three times over.
It can be used at any Alabama state-supported school, from the University of Alabama and Auburn to community and technical colleges. The ADVA education page also notes that some private Alabama institutions now participate; confirm a specific private school with ADVA before you enroll.
This is a separate program from the federal Chapter 35 DEA benefit for survivors and dependents. A family can potentially qualify for both. Ask your school certifying official how the two interact before you certify enrollment.
What it's worth
The scholarship pays tuition at the in-state rate up to $400 per credit hour, a cap a 2024 law change raised from the $250 limit set in 2017, plus a combined maximum of $1,000 per semester for required textbooks and instructional fees. It pays after all other grants and scholarships have been applied to your required educational expenses.
Here is what that looks like for a full-time student taking 30 credit hours across two semesters in a year:
| Item | Annual amount | Scholarship pays |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition (30 credit hours at the $400 cap) | $12,000 | up to $12,000 |
| Required textbooks and instructional fees | $2,000 | up to $2,000 |
| Total | $14,000 | up to $14,000 |
Across the full 10-semester entitlement, that is up to roughly $70,000 in education costs covered by the state. At Alabama community colleges, where tuition runs well under the $400 per hour cap, the scholarship can wipe out the tuition bill entirely.
Two limits worth knowing. The books and fees allowance covers required textbooks (including ebooks and access codes) and instructional fees like lab fees, but not registration, building, or student activity fees. And only undergraduate, college-level classes count; remedial coursework, not-for-credit classes, and anything beyond an undergraduate course of study are excluded.
Who qualifies (and who doesn't)
The Veteran must meet all of the following, based on the ADVA rules and the program summary published in Alabama community college catalogs:
- Rated 40 percent or more for a service-connected disability by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (or held that rating at death), or was a former Prisoner of War, declared Missing in Action, killed in action, or died from a service-connected disability or in the line of duty on active service. A legacy window for Veterans rated 20 to 30 percent under the pre-2017 rules closed to new applications on July 31, 2023; a dependent approved before that date should confirm any remaining eligibility with ADVA.
- Honorably served at least 90 days of continuous active federal military service, or was honorably discharged sooner for a service-connected disability. The most recent separation from active service must have been honorable.
- Meets an Alabama residency pathway. The standard path requires permanent Alabama residency for at least one year immediately before entering military service, plus one of the following: current Alabama residency for at least 2 years before the application, discharge within the last 12 months, or 10 consecutive years of Alabama income tax filings. A second path exists for Veterans rated 100 percent permanent and total who have been bona fide Alabama residents for at least 5 years immediately before the application.
A common misconception is that the 40 percent tier requires a permanent and total rating. It does not. A 40 percent service-connected rating qualifies on its own. The 100 percent permanent and total distinction matters only for the spouse entitlement tier and the alternate residency path described above.
For the dependent, the entitlement depends on who you are:
- Children and stepchildren get 10 semesters (five academic years) at in-state tuition rates, and must start training before their 26th birthday. Stepchildren qualify only if the Veteran married the child's parent before the child's 19th birthday.
- Spouses and un-remarried widows or widowers of Veterans rated 100 percent permanent and total get 10 semesters. Spouses of Veterans rated 40 to 90 percent get 6 semesters (three academic years).
The dependent must also be an Alabama resident at the time of application, complete the FAFSA each academic year, and stay in compliance with the school's satisfactory academic progress standards.
Who does not qualify: dependents of Veterans rated below 40 percent, spouses once a divorce from the qualifying Veteran is final, and surviving spouses and stepchildren once the surviving spouse remarries. A natural or adopted child's eligibility survives the surviving parent's remarriage.
How to claim it
- Gather the Veteran's documents. The application must include a VA disability award letter or rating verification letter dated within 6 months of the application (or the MEB/PEB evaluation if the rating came from a military medical board), plus evidence of the Veteran's Alabama residency and qualifying service.
- Apply online through the Alabama G.I. Dependent Scholarship Portal, reached from the official program page. Applicants under 18 need a parent or legal guardian to sign the required forms, and stepchildren must include a stepchild verification completed by the Veteran or the widow or widower.
- Complete the FAFSA for the academic year. ADVA requires it every year you use the benefit, because the scholarship pays after other grants and scholarships.
- Wait for the determination. ADVA reviews the package and notifies you and your school through the portal and email when approved.
- File a FERPA release with your school and keep your grades in good standing. Your school invoices ADVA directly for covered costs and bills you only for any remaining balance.
- If you change schools later, submit a transfer request through your portal account rather than a new application.
If you need help assembling the package, any Alabama county Veterans Service Office will walk you through it at no cost.
Deadlines
- Children and stepchildren must initiate training under the program before their 26th birthday. Limited extensions exist in some circumstances, so contact ADVA before assuming an older child is out of time.
- The VA disability letter in your application must be dated within 6 months of the application date.
- Unused eligibility expires 6 to 8 years after your initial application depending on your status. Extension requests for medical or military service interruptions must reach ADVA at least 90 days before your certificate expires.
- Report a marriage, divorce, or death in the family to ADVA promptly. Benefits paid after eligibility ends become an overpayment you owe back.
Related benefits
- Chapter 35 DEA survivor and dependent education is the federal counterpart, paying eligible dependents a monthly stipend directly. It is a separate program with its own eligibility rules, and your school certifying official is the right person to ask about using both.
- Benefits for spouses, children, and parents covers the wider set of federal programs that attach to a Veteran's disability rating, from health care to home loans.
- Run the GI Bill calculator in the Benefitry app to compare what federal education benefits would pay alongside this state scholarship.
What to do next
Start the application at the official ADVA program page, and use the GI Bill calculator to see how your family's federal education benefits stack up.
Then run your full benefits scan at benefitry.io/start. A 40 percent rating that unlocks this scholarship usually unlocks other state and federal money too, and we check over 4,000 federal and state benefits to show you every one you qualify for with a dollar value attached.