The Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program, known as Chapter 35 or DEA, pays the spouse or children of a veteran who is permanently and totally disabled, or who died from a service-connected cause, a monthly stipend to go to school. It is one of the most valuable family benefits the VA offers, and it is entirely separate from the veteran's own GI Bill, your dependent does not spend your GI Bill entitlement to use it.
This guide covers who qualifies, what it pays in 2026, and the one decision that trips families up: DEA versus the Fry Scholarship.
Who qualifies
A spouse or child is eligible for Chapter 35 DEA if the veteran or service member meets one of these conditions:
- Is permanently and totally (P&T) service-connected disabled, or
- Died of a service-connected disability, or
- Died in the line of duty or while on active duty, or
- Is missing in action, captured, or forcibly detained by a hostile force for more than 90 days, or
- Is hospitalized or being treated for a service-connected P&T disability and is likely to be discharged for it.
The first condition is the common one: a living veteran rated 100% P&T opens DEA for every eligible dependent. If you are rated total based on individual unemployability that is considered permanent, that can qualify too, see the TDIU guide for how permanence is determined.
What it pays in 2026
DEA pays a flat monthly stipend based on your training time. The rates change every October 1.
Chapter 35 DEA monthly rate (effective Oct 1, 2025)
Institutional (classroom) training:
- Full-time: $1,574.00/month
- Three-quarter time: $1,244.00/month
- Half-time: $912.00/month
Payments are prorated for partial months of enrollment.
Source: VA.gov Chapter 35 rates
Unlike the Post-9/11 GI Bill, DEA does not pay tuition directly to the school or add a separate housing allowance. It is a single monthly check to the student, who uses it for tuition, housing, books, whatever is needed. That simplicity is why it pairs so well with state tuition benefits like the California CalVet College Fee Waiver or Texas Hazlewood, the state benefit covers tuition while DEA covers living costs.
How long it lasts
- 36 months of entitlement if the dependent first used the benefit on or after August 1, 2018.
- 45 months if training began before August 1, 2018.
At full-time, 36 months of entitlement spread across roughly 9 enrolled months per academic year covers about four academic years of college, the length of a bachelor's degree.
The eligibility window (delimiting dates)
This is where timing matters.
- For a child: historically the benefit was usable between ages 18 and 26. For eligibility events on or after August 1, 2023, the VA removed the age cap, a child can now use it without the old 26-year-old cutoff. For events before that date, the age-26 window still applies.
- For a spouse: generally 10 years from the date the VA finds the spouse eligible or from the veteran's death, and 20 years for surviving spouses of those who died on active duty. For events on or after August 1, 2023, there is no time limit.
If your qualifying event is recent, the newer no-limit rules are a major upgrade over what families faced a few years ago.
DEA vs the Fry Scholarship, the decision that matters
If the service member died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001, the surviving spouse or child may qualify for the Fry Scholarship instead of, or in addition to, DEA. The two are very different:
| Chapter 35 DEA | Fry Scholarship | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Spouse/child of a P&T disabled veteran, OR a service-connected death | Spouse/child of a service member who died in the line of duty after 9/10/2001 |
| What it pays | Flat monthly stipend ($1,574 full-time) | Post-9/11 structure: tuition paid to the school + housing allowance + book stipend |
| Best when | You have separate tuition coverage (state waiver) and want cash for living costs | Tuition is the big expense and you want it paid in full |
You can qualify for both, but use one at a time
A survivor eligible for both Fry and DEA can use only one program at a time, with a combined cap of 81 months (if the parent died before August 1, 2011) or 48 months (on or after). Because Fry pays full tuition plus a housing allowance at the Post-9/11 rate, it is usually worth more at a school with high tuition. DEA wins when tuition is already covered by a state benefit and you want the monthly cash. Compare carefully before electing.
How DEA fits with the veteran's own benefits
DEA does not touch the veteran's GI Bill, the two are independent. A veteran can use their own Post-9/11 GI Bill or VR&E while their dependents separately draw Chapter 35. For a 100% P&T veteran with college-age kids, that means one family can have the veteran's education benefit, each child's DEA, and a state tuition waiver all running at once.
Worked example
A child of a 100% P&T disabled veteran enrolls full-time in college under Chapter 35:
- Monthly payment: $1,574.00.
- A 9-month academic year (September to May): 9 times $1,574.00 equals $14,166 for the year.
- Over the full 36-month entitlement: 36 times $1,574.00 equals $56,664 total, roughly four years of full-time funding.
Pair that with a state tuition waiver that covers the actual tuition bill, and the family is funding a degree with very little out of pocket.
What to do next
- If you are rated 100% P&T, tell your spouse and kids, they likely have a DEA benefit and may not know it.
- Apply with VA Form 22-5490 (the dependent applies, online through VA.gov is fastest).
- If the service member died in the line of duty after 9/11/2001, compare DEA against the Fry Scholarship before electing, the Fry's full-tuition structure often wins.
- Stack it: use a state tuition benefit for tuition and DEA for living costs.
Chapter 35 is one of the clearest wins in the entire benefits system for a disabled veteran's family, real money toward a degree that does not cost the veteran a single month of their own GI Bill.