Benefit Description

Recipients receive a monthly stipend from the VA. Dependents’ Educational Assistance provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of certain veterans. A recipient’s benefit amount is affected by their training time. VA Benefits will not be processed for courses which are not required for a student’s degree plan and may or may not be processed for repeated courses depending on the circumstances of the repeat.

All payments are sent directly from the VA to the student (not to the school) via direct deposit. Benefits are paid in arrears (after the training period). For example, a student receives payment for August at the beginning of September. Payment amounts do not include enrollment break periods (ex. Winter & Summer break).

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible you must be a spouse, son or daughter (including stepchild or adopted child) of a:

• Veteran who is permanently and totally disabled as the result of, or dies of, a service-connected disability. The disability must arise out of or be aggravated by active duty.
• Veteran with a permanent and total service-connected disability who dies from any cause.
• Service member who is missing in action or is captured in line of duty and is currently being held by a hostile force.
• Service member who is currently being forcibly detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power.
• A recipient may generally receive benefits under this program from age 18 to 26 (eight years). If you are eligible as a child of a veteran, your marital status does not affect your eligibility for DEA.

Additional Information

For questions about this program or how to receive your benefits contact the VA at 888-442-4551.