Learn about the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program. If you’re the child or spouse of a Veteran or service member who has died, is captured or missing, or has disabilities, you may be able to get help paying for school or job training through the DEA program—also called Chapter 35. Find out if you’re eligible for this benefit. You may be able to get these benefits if both you and the Veteran or service member meet certain eligibility
requirements. One of the descriptions listed below must be true: If you’re the child of a Veteran or service member
If you’re the spouse of a Veteran or service member
What benefits can I get?We’ll send you a monthly payment to help you cover the cost of:
Note: If you began using this program to pay for your school or training before August 1, 2018, you can get benefits for up to 45 months. If you began using the program on or after August 1, 2018, you can get benefits for up to 36 months. Review current payment rates What if I qualify for both DEA and the Fry Scholarship?You’ll need to pick one or the other. Once you make this choice, you can’t switch
to the other program. Exception: If you’re the child of a service member who died in the line of duty before August 1, 2011, you can use both DEA and the Fry Scholarship and get up to 81 months of education and training. You’ll need to use one program at a time. Can I get more help if I have a disability that prevents me from working toward my goals?We may approve special restorative training, if needed, to help you overcome or lessen the effects of a physical or mental disability so you can work toward your educational or training goal. Or we may approve special vocational training you may need due to a physical or mental disability. These special benefits won’t include medical or psychiatric care. Learn about special restorative training Learn about special vocational training Can I get more help if I have a disability or am a dependent of a Veteran who has a disability?You may be eligible for certain other programs and assistance. We may prescribe special restorative training to help you overcome or reduce the effects of a physical or mental disability so you can work toward your educational or training goal. Or we may approve special vocational training you may need due to a physical or mental disability. These special benefits don’t include medical or psychiatric care. If you’re the spouse or child of a disabled Veteran, you may be eligible for DEA benefits. All of these must be true:
Dependent spouses and children may be eligible for DEA benefits effective December 23, 2006. How do I get these benefits?
First, contact your school’s certifying official to make sure your program is approved for VA benefits. Then, you can:
If you haven’t started school or a training program:
If you’ve already started your program:
Do spouses of 100 disabled veterans get student loan forgiveness?So you may be wondering if there are any student loan forgiveness programs for military spouses. The short answer is no, there are not any programs dedicated to student loan forgiveness for military spouses.
Can veteran spouses get student loan forgiveness?There are student loan forgiveness programs for service members, but there are currently no military spouse student loan forgiveness benefits. Instead, military spouses have options to pay off student loan debt thanks to general loan forgiveness programs and GI Bill transferability rules.
Will 100% VA disability pay off student loans?Does 100% VA disability pay off student loans? Any veteran, including a veteran with a 100% TDIU disability rating, will have to repay their loans unless they apply for Federal student loan forgiveness.
Does PSLF apply to military spouses?Military spouses with federal loans can utilize the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, which requires that borrowers make 120 payments while working for a qualifying employer in order to have their loan balance forgiven.
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