Chapter 35 – DEA
Survivors' & Dependents' Educational Assistance
Who qualifies, what it pays, what you can use it for, time limits (incl. the Aug 1, 2023 update), verification, and how to apply.
What DEA is & who qualifies
Big idea: DEA is a VA education benefit for dependents of certain veterans or servicemembers — it’s not a loan, and it pays the student directly.
DEA is for spouses and children of a Veteran or servicemember who is:
- Permanently and totally disabled due to service, or
- Died in the line of duty or from a service-connected condition, or
- Has been MIA/POW for 90+ days.
Children (dependents)
- Generally eligible from age 18 (or high school completion) and historically up to age 26.
- The Aug 1, 2023 law change created a group of children with no fixed time limit — see the “Time limits” section.
Spouses & surviving spouses
- Eligible windows depend on the qualifying event (e.g., when the VA granted P&T or when the veteran died).
- Older rules often give spouses a 10-year window, with some cases getting up to 20 years (e.g., death on active duty).
2025–26 payment rates (effective Oct 1, 2025)
DEA pays the student a flat monthly amount based on what kind of training they’re in and whether they’re full-, ¾-, or half-time. These numbers are for the VA’s 2025–26 rate year.
| Training type | Rate |
|---|---|
| IHL / non-college degree (classroom) | Full-time: $1,574/mo · ¾-time: $1,181 · ½-time: $788 · <½-time: $394 (or actual tuition/fees if less). |
| OJT / apprenticeship | Starts higher and steps down as your wages rise (see VA’s OJT DEA table). |
| Correspondence (spouses only) | Reimbursed at 55% of approved lesson costs (up to entitlement limits). |
| Tutorial assistance | Up to $100/mo, with a $1,200 max per entitlement period. |
| Licensing & certification tests | Up to $2,000 per test (counted against entitlement). |
Check the current table. DEA rates adjust every year on the VA’s fiscal cycle. Before starting a new term, confirm your exact rate on VA’s official Chapter 35 rate page.
Time limits, entitlement months & the Aug 1, 2023 change
There are two separate ideas here: months of entitlement (how many months of DEA you can ever use) and your time window to use them (delimiting date).
Months of entitlement
- 36 months if you first used DEA on/after Aug 1, 2018.
- 45 months if you first used DEA before Aug 1, 2018.
Delimiting-date update (Aug 1, 2023)
Some spouses and children now have no DEA time limit. Specifically, people in certain groups whose:
- Qualifying event occurred on/after Aug 1, 2023, or
- Children who turn 18 or complete high school on or after that date.
If that’s you, VA may say you have no delimiting date — you still have a finite number of months (36/45), but no hard “use by” calendar deadline.
If you’re under the older (traditional) rules
- Children: generally can’t be paid after age 26, though extensions exist for certain interruptions (active duty, serious illness, etc.).
- Spouses: typically have 10 years from VA’s notice/eligibility date; up to 20 years if the servicemember died on active duty or if the P&T disability was determined within three years of discharge.
What you can use DEA for
DEA is more flexible than just “four years of college.” It can follow different paths and seasons of your life.
- College degrees: associate, bachelor’s, and many graduate programs.
- Non-college programs: technical and vocational schools that are VA-approved.
- Apprenticeships & OJT: with VA-approved employers.
- Licensing & certification tests: up to $2,000 per test (charged against entitlement).
- National tests: like the SAT, ACT, and other approved exams.
- Tutorial assistance: extra help in a specific subject when the school certifies it’s needed.
Monthly verification & how payments work
DEA doesn’t pay the school directly like some GI Bill programs. It pays you, and you pay the bills.
- DEA students must verify enrollment monthly (often via link sent by text/email or a quick online check-in) to keep payments flowing.
-
Your monthly rate depends on:
- Your training type (school vs. OJT vs. tests).
- Your training time — full-time, ¾-time, ½-time, <½-time.
- If you drop classes or withdraw, VA may reduce or stop your payment and, in some cases, create an overpayment you’ll have to resolve.
Using DEA with other VA education benefits
DEA can be combined with another VA education program over your lifetime — just not paid at the exact same time. The law allows up to 81 total months of VA education benefits when DEA is one of the programs.
This is an area where it’s worth sitting down with a school VA Certifying Official or a VSO and mapping out:
- Which program you use first.
- How long you expect to be in school/training.
- Whether another benefit (like Fry Scholarship or Post-9/11 transfer) is on the table.
How to apply (fast)
-
Apply online: Use VA’s DEA application
(VA Form 22-5490) on VA.gov:
Apply for DEA on VA.gov - School certifies: Once you’re admitted and registered, your school’s VA Certifying Official submits your enrollment certification to VA.
- Changing schools or programs? File VA Form 22-5495 (Request for Change of Program or Place of Training) through VA.gov.
Frequently asked questions
Can a child receive DEA and DIC at the same time?
Children usually must elect which benefit to receive when both would pay a monthly amount (DEA vs. child DIC). If this applies to you, sit down with the school’s VA Certifying Official or an accredited VSO and run the numbers under current rules for your situation.
Can a spouse receive DEA and DIC at the same time?
Spouses generally can receive DIC and still use DEA; they’re separate programs. But interactions can get nuanced (especially with income-based situations), so double-check with VA or a VSO for your case.
What if my qualifying event or 18th birthday was after Aug 1, 2023?
Many spouses and children in that group now have no DEA delimiting date. You still have a finite number of entitlement months, but you may not have a “use by” deadline on the calendar. If your event is before that date, the older time-limit rules likely apply.
Does DEA pay housing like the Post-9/11 GI Bill?
No. DEA pays a flat monthly rate based on training time. It does not pay a separate housing allowance like the Post-9/11 GI Bill does.
Official references
- VA “Education and training – current and past Chapter 35 rates” (2025–26 DEA rates).
- VA GI Bill Office Hours Q&A (mentions newer monthly verification and notes that many students no longer have a delimiting date).
- Congressional Research Service, Veterans' Educational Assistance Programs and Benefits: A Primer — DEA eligibility, entitlement months (36/45), Aug 1, 2023 delimiting-date changes, the 81-month combined-benefits rule, and tutorial/test-fee provisions.