Veterans Affairs Educational Programs FAQs

Montgomery GI Bill CH30
For active duty members who enroll and pay $100 per month for 12 months and are then entitled to receive a monthly education benefit once they have completed a minimum service obligation. For Reservists with a six-year obligation in the Selected Reserve who are actively drilling. This education benefit is sent to the member directly monthly and they are responsible for paying the school that they attend. The member just makes sure that the school certifies the credit hours each semester. 

The Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) CH35
The Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program offers education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of Veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to a service-related condition/100% VA rating or of Veterans who died while on active duty or because of a service-related condition. A Monthly amount paid directly to the student. Surviving Spouses of those who died in the line of duty may use benefits for up to 20 years from the Service member’s date of death. Children have 8 years to use benefit once applied, spouse has 10 years once applied and Benefit is 45 months.

Fry Scholarship
The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship) provides Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to the children and surviving spouses of Service members who died in the line of duty while on active duty after September 10, 2001. Eligible beneficiaries attending school may receive up to 36 months of benefits at the 100% level. Children and surviving spouses of an active duty member of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001 are eligible for this benefit. Children are eligible as of their 18th birthday (unless they have already graduated high school). A child may be married or over 23 and still be eligible. If they became eligible before January 1, 2013 their eligibility ends on their 33rd birthday. The age limitation is removed if the child became eligible on or after January 1, 2013. Although surviving spouses do not have a time limit with which to use their benefits, they will lose eligibility to this benefit upon remarriage.

Fry and DEA Eligibility
https://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/Fry_scholarship.asp

If you are eligible for both Fry Scholarship and DEA (Dependents Educational Assistance), you will be required to make an irrevocable election between the two programs when you apply. Dependents are not eligible to receive both DEA and the Fry Scholarship based on the same event (like a Service member dying in the line of duty) unless he or she is a child whose parent died prior to August 1, 2011. A child of a parent who died prior to August 1, 2011 may still be eligible for both benefits but he/she may only use one program at a time and combined benefits are capped at a total of 81 months of full-time training. In this situation, the two benefit programs cannot be used concurrently. 

Vocational Rehabilitation CH31
You may receive Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) services to help with job training, employment accommodations, resume development, and job seeking skills coaching. Other services may be provided to assist Veterans in starting their own businesses or independent living services for those who are severely disabled and unable to work in traditional employment. Service members expecting a discharge that is other than dishonorable who possess a VA memorandum or Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) rating of 20 percent or more—as well as Service members currently going through a Physical Evaluation Board—may be eligible to receive VR&E services. If it is determined that continuing education is needed the veteran will receive a monthly stipend and the tuition and fees will be paid in full by Veterans Affairs. Your Vocational Counselor will send a form of eligibility to the veteran’s coordinator and once you register for classes you will be certified and the VA will be billed.

• Apply online for dependent education benefits
• Paper copy for dependent education benefits
• Apply online for veteran benefits
• Paper Copy for veteran benefits