VETERANS CORNER

Education Benefits for Dependents of Veterans & Operation Green Light

Submitted By: Jeffery Mead
Susquehanna County Director of Veterans Affairs/Veterans Service Officer

Adding school age dependents to your VA disability compensation rate:

A well-kept secret is the various education benefits that a veteran’s dependent, aged 18-23 who are attending college or trade school, may qualify for based on Veteran’s eligibility.  Veterans receiving disability compensation from VA, who have a disability rating of 30% or higher, can add dependents to their compensation benefits. Adding dependents, like a spouse or children, means the veteran is eligible for higher disability payments. This benefit expires if the dependent is a child who turns 18.   However, the veteran can apply for school attendance dependency if that same child is attending college or trade school, full time. The veteran would receive an even higher compensation rate for that child (Currently additional $342.85/month for each child 18-23 attending college or trade school). The veteran and student need to fill out a Request for School Attendance VA form 21-674 and submit a Current Enrollment Verification Certificate from the school the student is attending, to receive this benefit. 

Eligible Veterans can transfer their Post-9/11 GI Bill to their dependent prior to leaving service. Veterans can then change the percentage the dependent(s) receive of the Post-9/11 GI Bill at any time even after they completed their service:

Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits can be redeemed at the below rates for active-duty service:

Reserve Duty That Counts Toward Post-9/11 Eligibility

The time that a Reservist was ordered to active duty to receive authorized medical care, be medically evaluated for disability, or complete a Department of Defense (DoD) health care study on or after September 11, 2001, now counts as active duty toward eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill program. An individual may use this entitlement to pursue a course of education beginning on or after August 1, 2018.

Purple Heart Recipients

Servicemembers and honorably discharged Veterans who were awarded a Purple Heart on or after September 11, 2001, will be entitled to Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits at the 100-percent benefit level for up to 36 months. This was effective on August 1, 2018.

Benefit Levels

An individual with aggregate service of 90 days but less than six months of active-duty service (excluding entry and skill training) qualifies at the 50-percent benefit level. An individual with aggregate service of at least six months but less than eighteen months of active-duty service (excluding entry and skill training) qualifies at the 60-percent benefit level. 

Those dependents receiving the Post 9/11 GI Bill are eligible to receive a Monthly Housing Allowance Based on the Campus where a Student Attends the Majority of their Classes 

The law under the Post-9/11 GI Bill program requires the monthly housing allowance (MHA) to be calculated based on the zip code of the campus where the student physically attends the majority of classes, rather than the location of the institution of higher learning where the student is enrolled.

Note: For dependents attending college or a trade school, the tuition reimbursement is at the rate of a State University.  If the student attends a Private or State-related University, the student pays the difference in the tuition.  However, if the school is a Yellow Ribbon School, the school waves the difference in tuition rates (locally the University of Scranton is an example of a Yellow Ribbon School). 

VA Education Benefits for Survivors and Dependents:

Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance Program (DEA) also called Chapter 35

Find out if you’re eligible for VA education benefits for dependents and survivors (also called Chapter 35 benefits). If you’re a dependent spouse or child—or the surviving spouse or child—of a Veteran, you may qualify for Chapter 35 benefits or job training through a GI Bill program.

Eligibility for educational benefits:

You may be eligible for VA education benefits (Chapter 35 benefits) if you are the child or spouse of a service member with 1 of these descriptions listed below:

• The service member died in the line of duty, or
  
  
• The service member is missing in action or was captured in the line of duty by a hostile force, or
  
  
• The service member was detained (held) by force while in the line of duty by a foreign government or power, or
  
  
• The service member is in the hospital or getting outpatient treatment for a service-connected permanent and total disability and is likely to be discharged for that disability. A service-connected permanent and total disability is a disability resulting from your service that does not go away.
  
  
• The Veteran is permanently and totally disabled due to service -connected disability, or
  
  
• The Veteran died while on active duty or as a result of a service -connected disability. 

DEA (Chapter35) Rates for October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026

• Full-time enrollment: $1,574.00 for each full month
• 3/4-time enrollment: $1,244.00 for each full month
• 1/2-time enrollment: $912.00 for each full month

Fry Scholarships

Learn about the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship), a scholarship for children and spouses of certain Veterans. If your parent or spouse died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001, while serving in the Armed Forces, or was a member of the Selected Reserve who died from a service-connected disability, you may qualify for this benefit. Keep reading to find out if you’re eligible for education benefits through this scholarship.

You may be eligibility for Fry Scholarship if you are the child or surviving spouse of:

• A Member of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty while serving on active duty on or before September 11, 2001, or
  
  
• A Member of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty while not on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, or
  
  
• A member of the Selected Reserve who died from a service-connected disability on or after September 11, 2001

As the child of a service member:

• You can be married or unmarried
  
  
• If you turn 18 or graduated from high school before January 1, 2013, you can get a Fry Scholarship until you are 33 years old.
  
  
• If you turn 18 or graduated from high school before January 1, 2013, you can get a Fry Scholarship at any age over 18 after you graduate (whichever comes first).
  
  
• If your parent was a member of the Selected Reserve and died from service-connected disability while not on active duty, you can get a Fry Scholarship at any time, no matter how old you are.
  
  
• If your parent died in the line of duty before August 1, 2011, you may qualify for both Fry Scholarship and the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program. But you can use only one program at a time. VA caps combined benefits at 81 months for full-time training.

If you are receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), You will need to give up those payments when you start to use the Fry Scholarship.

As the spouse of a service member:

• If you remarry, you will no longer be eligible for the Fry Scholarship.

NOTE: If you qualify for both the Fry Scholarship and DEA, you’ll need to choose which program you want to use. Once you choose, you can’t change your mind. Exception: If your parent died in the line of duty before August 1, 2011, you could use both the Fry Scholarship and DEA. You can get up to 81 months of full-time training, but you can use only one program at a time. (va.gov)

In State Tuition for DEA chapter 35 recipients

Note: Starting August 1, 2022, if you’re using benefits through the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program, you’ll be eligible for in-state tuition rates.

Example: Once a student is eligible for chapter 35, DEA benefits, they are eligible for instate tuition, even if they are attending an out of state school.  For example, if a PA student is attending a school in Vermont and paying out of state tuition rates, then their parent becomes 100% service-connected VA disabled, and subsequently the student is granted DEA chapter 35 Educational Benefits, the student is then entitled to in state tuition at the Vermont school. 

PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATIONAL GRATUITY:

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provides financial assistance (up to $500 per term/semester up to eight semesters) to children of veterans who meet the following criteria:

Veteran Eligibility: *

• Died in service during a period of war or armed conflict,

or

• Honorable Discharge

• Served during established war service dates as determined by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs

• Veteran must have a 100% permanent and total service-connected disability rating by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs

Child Eligibility:

• Must be between the ages of 16 and 23, living within Pennsylvania five years prior to application and must attend an approved school within the state 

• Applicant must demonstrate a financial need

Application:

Contact us at Susquehanna County Veterans Affairs to apply for this program.

Upcoming Veteran Events:

Gulf War/Global War on Terror Veterans Support Group at Lenox/Elk Mountain VFW Post 8488 every First Monday of Month at 5:30 PM. Next meeting is October 6th at 5:30PM.

Vietnam Veterans Support Group at Lenox/Elk Mountain VFW Post 8488 every 1st and 3rd Monday at 10:30 AM.  Next meetings are October 6th   & October 20th at 10:30AM.  

At Veterans Affairs of Susquehanna County, we have two Veteran Service Officers who are here ready and willing to assist any Veterans who are seeking to file for VA Compensation for any of the presumptive conditions mentioned in this article and applying for State Veteran benefits.

Our office can be reached at the following:

P.O. Box 218 /31 Lake Avenue Montrose, PA 18801 (Courthouse-side entrance facing the green)
Phone: 570-278-5955 or 570-278-4600 Ext. 3045
Fax: 570-278-5977

Contact Information

Veterans Affairs
Department of Veterans Affairs
31 Lake Avenue (PO Box 218)
Montrose, PA 18801

Telephone: (570) 278-5955
Fax: (570) 278-5977

Jeffery Mead, Director / VSO

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