Education benefits for spouses and children

Months transferred by a parent or spouse

A service member can transfer unused Post-9/11 GI Bill months to a spouse or child, but only while still serving and only under Defense Department rules. Those rules usually call for a number of years already served and an agreement to serve more. The request is made through milConnect, and the member can divide the months among family members.

Spouses can usually start using transferred months right away, while children generally wait until they finish high school or turn 18 and must use them before age 26. Once the transfer is approved, the family member applies on va.gov for a Certificate of Eligibility in their own name.

Chapter 35 and the Fry Scholarship

Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance, known as Chapter 35 or DEA, serves spouses and children of veterans who died of a service-connected condition or who have a permanent and total service-connected disability, along with some other cases the VA lists. It pays a monthly amount directly to the student, and the school bills tuition as usual.

The Fry Scholarship serves children and surviving spouses of members who died in the line of duty after September 10, 2001. It pays like the Post-9/11 GI Bill at the full level, including housing and books. A family member who can use both programs may have to pick one, so ask the VA to explain the trade-off before deciding.

A family member who can use both programs may have to pick one, so ask the VA to explain the trade-off before deciding.

Help from the Defense Department and the states

My Career Advancement Account, called MyCAA, helps spouses of service members in certain junior ranks pay for a license, a certification or an associate degree in a field that moves well from base to base. Spouse Education and Career Opportunities counselors, reached through Military OneSource, can explain it and help plan a program.

Many states waive tuition at public colleges for some spouses and children of veterans, especially those whose parent or spouse died in service or has a service-connected disability. Federal law also requires public colleges to charge in-state tuition to many family members using VA benefits. The state veterans affairs department or the college's veterans office knows the local rules, and the relief society of each branch runs grant and scholarship programs for military families.