Kids, Spouse & College: VA and State Education Benefits for Military and Veteran Families

Last verified: October 2026 · Part of our "Benefits by Life Situation" series

Disclaimer: This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice, and it is not advice about any VA claim. We are an independent site and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of Defense or any state agency. Rules change. Always confirm with the official source linked next to each fact.

The short version

There are three big federal programs for families, plus state programs that can stack on top:

1. Chapter 35 DEA (Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance): for families of veterans who are permanently and totally disabled from service, or who died, are missing or are captured.
2. Transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits: the service member must request the transfer while still serving.
3. The Fry Scholarship: for children and surviving spouses of service members who died in the line of duty on or after Sept 11, 2001.

Then check your state. Some states waive tuition for veterans' families.

Quick comparison

Part 1: Chapter 35 DEA

Who's eligible

VA says one of these must be true for the veteran or service member (VA: DEA):

• The veteran is permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected disability
• The veteran died as a result of a service-connected disability
• The service member died in the line of duty
• The service member is missing in action, or was captured or forcibly detained, for more than 90 days
• The service member is hospitalized or in outpatient treatment for a service-connected P&T disability and likely to be discharged for it

VA's benefits-by-rating table also notes that DEA requires the disability to be "considered permanent" (VA benefit eligibility matrix).

How much and how long

• Months: up to 36 months if school or training started on or after Aug 1, 2018 (45 months if it started before) (VA: DEA).
• Payment: a monthly payment made directly to the student. Check VA's current DEA rates (same page).

⏰ Time limits: the Aug 1, 2023 change

VA's rules changed for people who became eligible on or after Aug 1, 2023. Per VA (same page):

Children

• No time limit if you became eligible, turned 18, or finished high school/GED on or after Aug 1, 2023.
• Otherwise, generally up to 8 years, before you turn 26, with exceptions. For example, if you join the military, you can use DEA up to 8 years from your discharge date as long as you're under 31.
• If you're receiving DIC, you'll need to give up those payments when you start using DEA.

Spouses

• No time limit if the qualifying event happened on or after Aug 1, 2023.
• If it happened before then:
  • Generally 10 years.
  • 20 years if the service member died on active duty.
  • Generally 20 years from the effective date if the P&T rating's effective date is within 3 years of discharge.
  • Another 10 years if a P&T veteran later dies.
• Spouses can receive DEA and DIC at the same time. Divorce ends eligibility. Remarriage after the veteran's death generally ends it too, with two exceptions VA lists.

DEA + Fry

• Children: combined DEA and Fry benefits are capped at 81 months if the parent died in the line of duty before Aug 1, 2011. If on or after that date, a child can use both only if eligible for DEA under a different event (48-month combined cap).
• Spouses: must choose one program and can't switch later.
• Source: VA: DEA.

How to apply

Apply online or by mail with VA Form 22-5490. Then tell your school's certifying official that you applied; VA says the certifying official can also tell you which programs are approved (same page). Find approved programs with VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool (linked from the same page).

Part 2: Transferring the Post-9/11 GI Bill (for service members)

⏰ The big deadline: you must still be serving

VA: "While you're still on active duty, you'll need to request a Transfer of Education Benefits (TEB) from the DOD through milConnect. You can't request a TEB from VA" (VA: transfer GI Bill). VA's page also notes DoD decides whether you can transfer.

✅ Requirements (all must be true), per VA

• ☐ You're on active duty or in the Selected Reserve
• ☐ You've completed at least 6 years of service on the date your request is approved
• ☐ You agree to add 4 more years of service
• ☐ The family member is enrolled in DEERS

Purple Heart recipients don't need to meet a service requirement, "But you'll need to request to transfer your benefits while you're still on active duty" (same page). You can transfer up to 36 months total.

When family members can use it

Per VA (same page):

• Spouses can use it right away. If you separated on or after Jan 1, 2013, there's no time limit.
• Children can start using it only after you've completed at least 10 years of service. They must have a high school diploma (or equivalent) or be at least 18, and be younger than 26.

By law, you must request the transfer while you're still serving as a member of the Armed Forces, including the Selected Reserve (38 U.S.C. 3319(f)). You request it from DoD through milConnect, not from VA (VA). You can't transfer after you separate or retire.

Part 3: The Fry Scholarship

The Fry Scholarship is for the child or surviving spouse of a service member or Selected Reserve member who died on or after Sept 11, 2001, under conditions VA lists: in the line of duty on active duty, from a service-connected disability within 120 days of discharge, or (for Selected Reserve) in the line of duty other than active duty or from a service-connected disability (VA: Fry Scholarship).

Part 4: State tuition programs (examples from our starter states)

These vary widely, and some are much narrower than people expect. Each was checked against an official state source in October 2026:

• Virginia (VMSDEP): tuition and mandatory fee waiver (plus a stipend in some cases) for spouses and children of veterans who are P&T or at least 90% permanently disabled due to service (Virginia DVS).
• California (CalVet College Fee Waiver): waives mandatory systemwide tuition and fees at community colleges, CSU and UC under four plans. One plan (Plan B) has an income limit, $22,273 for 2025–26 (CalVet).
• Texas (Hazlewood Legacy): an eligible veteran who lives in Texas can share unused Hazlewood hours (150 total) with one child at a time. The child must be a Texas resident and 25 or younger on the first day of the term (Texas Veterans Commission).
• Washington: undergraduate tuition and fees can be waived for eligible dependents, up to 250 quarter credits (RCW 28B.15.621); WDVA lists this under the 100% tier (WDVA).
• Ohio (War Orphan & Severely Disabled Veterans' Children Scholarship): requires a veteran rating of 60% or more, with wartime service (Ohio Dept. of Higher Education).
• Pennsylvania (Educational Gratuity Program): up to $500 per term for 8 terms for children aged 16–23 of honorably discharged wartime veterans rated 100% P&T, with residency and need requirements (PA DMVA).
• Florida (CSDDV): covers tuition and required fees at Florida public colleges for children (ages 16–22) and spouses of veterans that Florida certifies as 100% P&T service-connected (or who died of a service-connected disability), with Florida as the veteran's home of record. For 2027–28, apply on the Florida Financial Aid Application by April 1, 2027 for priority (FDOE fact sheet).
• North Carolina: Scholarships for Children of Wartime Veterans, with several classes. NCDMVA notes the Fall 2026 portal has closed (NC DMVA).
• Arizona and Georgia: the official programs we found are narrow. Arizona's waiver covers line-of-duty deaths and certain Purple Heart recipients (A.R.S. 15-1808). Georgia's HERO Scholarship is tied to Guard/Reserve combat-zone service (GSFC).

👉 Full table: State pages · changes: State Benefit Change Tracker

✅ Family college checklist

• ☐ Download the veteran's VA Benefit Summary Letter (VA letters). Many state programs ask for it.
• ☐ Service members: decide about the GI Bill transfer before separating.
• ☐ Check DEA time limits against the Aug 1, 2023 dates above.
• ☐ Look up your state's program and its deadline.
• ☐ Talk to the school's certifying official and financial aid office early.

Get individual help (free, accredited)

This guide is general information. For help with anything about your own VA benefits or claims, talk to someone accredited by VA.

• Find a VA-accredited representative or Veterans Service Organization (VSO). VSO representatives help for free. VA's official page explains your options and links to its accreditation search (VA: get help from an accredited representative or VSO).
• Check that anyone helping you is accredited. VA's Office of General Counsel explains that without accreditation, a person "may not independently assist claimants in the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for VA benefits" (VA OGC: Accreditation FAQs).
• Your state's veterans affairs department (directory via NASDVA) can explain state benefits and point you to local help.

We do not help with VA claims, ratings or appeals, and we never charge veterans for information.

Keep going

• Guide 1: Moving to a New State : state tuition rules often require residency
• Guide 2: Buying a Home
• Guide 4: Separating / Transitioning From Service : transfer the GI Bill before you go
• Guide 5: Turning 65 / Aging
• State Benefit Change Tracker

Last verified: October 2026. Found something out of date? Tell us (placeholder).