Current as of June 26, 2026. DEA rates change every October 1, and state programs change by legislative session. Verify amounts at va.gov before you file.
If you’re a 100% permanent and total veteran, or the surviving spouse or child of one, the VA will pay $1,574 a month toward school. It’s called Chapter 35 — Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance, or DEA. It is separate from the GI Bill, separate from any state benefit, and a lot of families who qualify never claim a dollar of it.
This is the part most people miss: it’s not the veteran’s benefit to use. It belongs to the dependents — the spouse and the kids. And as of August 2023, the old clock that used to run it out got removed for most new claims.
Here’s who qualifies, what you get, and how to file.
What you actually get
For full-time enrollment at a college or university, DEA pays $1,574 per month for the 2025–2026 rate year (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). Part-time pays less:
- Full-time: $1,574/month
- Three-quarter time: $1,244/month
- Half-time: $912/month
The money goes straight to the student, not the school. You use it for tuition, rent, books, a beater car to get to class — whatever. The VA doesn’t track receipts. And VA education payments don’t count as taxable income, so the full amount is yours.
Total entitlement depends on when training started:
- Started on or after August 1, 2018: up to 36 months
- Started before August 1, 2018: up to 45 months
Thirty-six months at the full-time rate is over $56,000. That’s real money for a family putting a kid through school.
Who qualifies
DEA is for the spouse or child of a veteran or service member who meets one of these:
- Is permanently and totally (P&T) disabled from a service-connected condition
- Died from a service-connected condition
- Died on active duty
- Is MIA, captured, or forcibly detained by a foreign power for more than 90 days
- Is hospitalized for a service-connected permanent and total disability and being discharged for it
The disability has to be rated permanent and total by the VA — not just 100%. A 100% rating can be temporary or up for re-evaluation; “P&T” means the VA considers it permanent and won’t be calling you back for another exam. Check the rating decision letter for the words “permanent and total” or a box marked that the condition is static. If you’re not sure, call the VA at 800-827-1000 and ask whether the rating is P&T.
A few eligibility notes that trip people up:
- Spouses and children both qualify — they can even draw at the same time, each with their own 36 months.
- A child generally has to be between 18 and 26 to start, but read the next section, because August 2023 blew a hole in that rule.
- A divorced spouse loses eligibility. A surviving spouse who remarries before age 57 loses it; remarry at 57 or older and you keep it.
The August 2023 change that helps most new families
This is the part worth understanding, because it changed who can still use the benefit.
For years, DEA came with a delimiting date — a hard deadline. Children had to finish by age 26. Spouses generally had 10 years from the date the VA rated the veteran P&T (longer in some death cases). Miss the window, lose the benefit.
For qualifying events on or after August 1, 2023, that deadline is gone.
- Children: if you became eligible, turned 18, or finished high school on or after August 1, 2023, there is no age cap and no time limit. You can start at 30, at 40, whenever.
- Spouses: if the qualifying event — the P&T rating or the veteran’s death — happened on or after August 1, 2023, there is no time limit to use it.
If your milestones all happened before August 1, 2023, the old rules still apply: children generally have up to 8 years and must finish before 26; spouses usually get 10 years (up to 20 in certain death-on-active-duty cases). So if you’re under the old clock, don’t sit on it.
Stack it with your state’s tuition waiver
Here’s the move most families don’t make: DEA is a federal benefit, and many states also waive tuition for dependents of P&T or deceased veterans at their public colleges. The two don’t cancel each other out.
The play: the state waiver covers tuition and fees, and DEA’s monthly check covers your living costs on top. Together that can mean a debt-free degree with money left over for rent.
It varies a lot by state, so check yours:
- Texas (Hazlewood Act): up to 150 credit hours, fees waived at public schools.
- Florida: tuition and registration fees for children and spouses of P&T or deceased veterans.
- Illinois: full tuition and mandatory fees at public colleges for spouses and children.
- California (College Fee Waiver): waives system-wide fees at UC, CSU, and community colleges — but California blocks drawing its Plan A and Chapter 35 at the same time, so run the numbers.
Search your state veterans affairs office plus “dependent tuition waiver.” The rules, age limits, and rating thresholds are different in every state, and some require state residency.
How to file
- Confirm the veteran’s rating is P&T. Pull the VA decision letter or call 800-827-1000.
- Pick a VA-approved school and program. Most accredited colleges and many trade and certificate programs qualify.
- File VA Form 22-5490 (Dependents’ Application for VA Education Benefits) online at va.gov. A child under 18 needs a parent or guardian to sign.
- Wait for your Certificate of Eligibility, then hand it to the school’s certifying official so they report your enrollment to the VA each term.
- Apply for your state waiver separately through your state veterans affairs office — it’s a different form and office.
If a benefit got denied or you think the rating should’ve been P&T years ago, talk to a VA-accredited claims rep or VSO before you give up. DEA can pay retroactively in some cases.
Bottom line
If you’re a P&T veteran, your spouse and kids have a $1,574-a-month education benefit sitting unclaimed — and for most families newly eligible since August 2023, there’s no longer a deadline to lose it to. File the 22-5490, then check whether your state waives tuition on top.
Official sources:
- Chapter 35 DEA program — VA.gov
- Chapter 35 rates — VA.gov
- Current VA education benefit rates — VA.gov
Not an official VA or DoD website. We summarize public VA information to help you find benefits — always confirm details with the VA before filing.