Fry Scholarship and Survivors' Benefits for Children of Fallen Service Members

Two different survivor benefit programs

Fry Scholarship and Dependents Educational Assistance both support spouses and children of service members, but they cover different situations and pay at different rates. Knowing which one you qualify for, and whether you qualify for both, changes how much money you get for the same degree.

Fry Scholarship eligibility and benefits

The Fry Scholarship covers children and surviving spouses of a service member or Selected Reserve member who died in the line of duty while on active duty, or who died from a service-connected disability, on or after September 11, 2001. It pays the same benefit as the Post-9/11 GI Bill at the 100 percent tier, covering full in-state public tuition and fees, a monthly housing allowance, and a books and supplies stipend, for up to 36 months.

Age limits depend on when the death occurred. If the qualifying death happened before January 1, 2013, the child generally must use the benefit before turning 33, unless they turned 18 or graduated high school after January 1, 2013, in which case no age limit applies. Deaths on or after January 1, 2013 carry no age limit at all. Deaths connected to Selected Reserve service also carry no age limit.

DEA Chapter 35 eligibility and benefits

Dependents Educational Assistance covers a wider set of circumstances than Fry. You may qualify as a spouse or child if the veteran or service member:

• Is permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition

• Died from a service-connected cause

• Died in the line of duty

• Was missing in action or captured for at least 90 days

• Was forcibly detained by a foreign government or entity for at least 90 days

• Is hospitalized for a service-connected permanent disability with likely discharge

DEA pays a flat monthly rate rather than covering actual tuition. For the 2025-26 rate period (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026), the rates are:

Children eligible for DEA before August 1, 2023 generally must be at least 18 or have a high school diploma or GED to start using the benefit. Spouses stay eligible until divorce or remarriage, with a narrow exception preserving eligibility for spouses who remarry after age 57. Duration runs up to 36 months for training that started on or after August 1, 2018, and up to 45 months for training that started earlier.

Can you use both?

Children whose qualifying death happened before August 1, 2011 can potentially use both Fry and DEA up to a combined 81 month cap. For deaths on or after that date, using both requires separately qualifying for DEA on its own terms, and the combined cap drops to 48 months. Surviving spouses can receive both Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) and Fry Scholarship benefits at the same time, but children generally must choose between DIC and Fry, since receiving both is not allowed.

Checking which pays more for your school

Because Fry pays actual tuition and fees while DEA pays a flat monthly amount, the better option depends on where you enroll. A high-tuition private school usually favors Fry, since DEA's flat rate will not cover a bigger tuition bill the way a percentage-based Post-9/11 benefit does. Use the VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool to check estimated benefit payouts for a specific school before deciding which benefit to use, especially if you qualify for both and need to choose.

How to apply

Apply for either benefit through VA.gov or through your school's certifying official once you have gathered proof of the qualifying event, such as a death certificate showing service connection or a disability rating decision. Processing takes time, so apply as early as possible before your enrollment term starts to avoid a gap between when classes begin and when payments start.

Fry Scholarship and the Yellow Ribbon Program

Because Fry Scholarship pays at the 100 percent Post-9/11 GI Bill tier, you also qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program at participating schools. Yellow Ribbon lets a private school or an out-of-state public program agree to cover tuition and fees above what the standard in-state public cap pays, with the VA matching the school's contribution dollar for dollar. This matters most at private universities or graduate programs where tuition runs well above the public in-state rate that Post-9/11 and Fry benefits are pegged to. DEA recipients do not have access to Yellow Ribbon, since DEA is a flat monthly rate rather than a tuition-based benefit.

What DEA's flat rate looks like over a term

Because DEA pays a set monthly amount rather than actual tuition, it helps to think in terms of a semester or academic year. A student enrolled half time under DEA for a nine month academic year receives roughly $912 a month, or about $8,208 across nine months, before any other aid. A full-time student over the same period receives about $1,574 a month, or roughly $14,166 across nine months. These are rough totals based on the published monthly rate and do not account for the exact enrollment dates VA uses to prorate partial months.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to choose between Fry and DEA if I qualify for both?

Not necessarily. Whether you can use both and how much combined benefit you get depends on when the qualifying death or disability occurred, so check your specific combined-cap situation with a VA education counselor or your school's certifying official before deciding.

Does remarriage affect my eligibility as a surviving spouse?

Under Fry Scholarship, remarriage does not end your eligibility. Under DEA, remarriage generally ends spouse eligibility, with a narrow exception for spouses who remarry at age 57 or older after January 1, 2004.

Who counts as my certifying official?

Every school that accepts VA education benefits has a certifying official, usually based in the financial aid or registrar's office, who reports your enrollment to the VA each term so your payments start and continue correctly.