The Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) program, sponsored by the Veterans Benefits Administration in the Department of Foreign Affairs provides educational grants to the spouses or children of deceased or disabled veterans. These grants can be extended for up to 45 months, and they cover a wide variety of secondary-education programs, including undergraduate college degrees, technical training, master's programs and special-interest schools.
Children are eligible if they are between the ages of 18 and 26 and one parent has died or become permanently disabled as a result of service to the U.S. military. Children are also eligible if their parent has been missing in action for more than 90 days or is currently a prisoner of war.
If your program or school qualifies for assistance, complete VA Form 22-5490, Application for Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance. This form can be picked up in any regional office of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and must be submitted to the regional office in the state where you will be enrolled. If you want to apply for assistance in a program you already have begun, you'll fill out VA Form 22-1999, Enrollment Certification, in addition to VA Form 22-5490.
Under special circumstances, an extension to the period of eligibility for a DEA grant can be given so that you will be eligible before age 18 or after age 26. Contact the Department of Veterans' Affairs for more information about these circumstances.
In addition to the federal DEA grant program, a number of grants specific to particular states are also available. For example, children of Michigan veterans can receive up to $2,800 each year through the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund, and the Tuition Assistance for Children of POW/MIAs provides $500 grants to undergraduate students who are children of POW/MIA veterans and who attend New Jersey colleges (see Resources).