VA Chapter 35 Benefits: 2026–27 DEA Rates & Who Qualifies

If your parent or spouse is a veteran rated permanently and totally disabled by VA, or a service member who died in the line of duty, you may qualify for Chapter 35: VA's Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) program. It is separate from the GI Bill®, and it works differently: VA pays you a set amount each month while you are in school. This guide covers the 2026–27 monthly rates, who qualifies, how DEA compares with the Fry Scholarship, how to apply with VA Form 22-5490, and which partner schools accept it.

1. The 2026–27 Chapter 35 Monthly Rates

Chapter 35 is a flat monthly payment. VA sends it to you, the student, and you pay the school. There is no separate tuition payment, housing allowance or books stipend. The amount depends only on your training time. VA raises the rates each October 1, and the new 2026–27 rates are already published:

Source: VA.gov, Future rates for Chapter 35 (last updated August 12, 2026; rates for October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027) and Chapter 35 rates (last updated March 25, 2026). Rates are for college and non-college degree programs.

Two numbers shape the whole plan. First, entitlement: you get up to 36 months of benefits if your training started on or after August 1, 2018 (45 months if it started earlier). Second, training time: your school decides what counts as full time for your program, and graduate programs often define it differently from undergraduate ones. Ask the school certifying official how many credits you need each term for the full-time rate.

Chapter 35 also pays for apprenticeships and on-the-job training, starting at $1,029 a month for the first six months under the 2026–27 rates (you must work at least 120 hours a month for the full amount).

2. Who Qualifies: Chapter 35 Benefits for Dependents and Spouses

Eligibility starts with the veteran or service member. According to VA, at least one of these must be true:

• They are permanently and totally disabled because of a service-connected condition.
• They died of a service-connected disability, or died in the line of duty.
• They are missing in action or were captured in the line of duty for more than 90 days.
• They were forcibly detained or interned in the line of duty by a foreign entity for more than 90 days.
• They are in the hospital or getting outpatient treatment for a service-connected permanent and total disability and are likely to be discharged for it.

The first item trips up many families. A 100% rating is not the same as permanent and total (P&T). If VA expects to re-examine the condition, the rating is not permanent yet. Look for the words "permanent and total" on the veteran's VA decision letter or benefit summary letter before you apply.

Source: VA.gov, Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (last updated September 22, 2026).

Neither children nor spouses can use DEA while on active duty themselves, and anyone who has served must not have a dishonorable discharge. If you live in California, Chapter 35 can also sit alongside a state benefit: our CalVet fee waiver guide explains when a Plan B waiver and DEA can be used together.

3. Chapter 35 vs. the Fry Scholarship

Survivors of service members who died on or after September 11, 2001, may also qualify for the Fry Scholarship, which pays through the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The two programs pay in very different ways, so compare them before you choose.

Sources: VA.gov, Fry Scholarship (last updated September 22, 2026) and Post-9/11 GI Bill rates for August 1, 2026 – July 31, 2027.

Can you use both? Sometimes, but only one at a time. VA's rules depend on when your parent died. If the death was before August 1, 2011, you may qualify for both, with a combined cap of 81 months of full-time training. If it was on or after August 1, 2011, you can use both only if you qualify for DEA through a different event, and the combined cap is 48 months.

Which one fits? If you qualify for Fry, it is often the stronger choice at a private school or in a high-cost area, because it pays tuition directly and adds a housing allowance. Chapter 35 can make more sense if you qualify only for DEA (for example, as the child of a living P&T veteran), or if your tuition is low and a steady monthly payment is easier to plan around. Run both through VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool, and read our guide to what the GI Bill® covers to see how Post-9/11 payments add up.

4. How to Apply: VA Form 22-5490, Step by Step

DEA and the Fry Scholarship share one application: VA Form 22-5490. The student applies, not the veteran. Here is the process:

1. Pick your program first, if you can. Confirm it is VA-approved using our six-step school check and VA's WEAMS database.
2. Gather the details. You need information about the veteran or service member your claim is based on (such as their Social Security or VA file number), plus your own contact and direct-deposit information.
3. Apply on VA.gov. Start VA Form 22-5490 online. If you mail a paper form, send it to the VA regional processing office for the state where your school is, or for the state where you live if you have not picked a school yet.
4. Save your confirmation. Wait for VA's decision letter, also called your Certificate of Eligibility.
5. Bring it to your school. Give the letter to the school certifying official and ask them to certify your enrollment to VA once you are admitted and registered. Payments start only after the school certifies.

Apply before your first term if you can, so the school has your letter when classes start. A Navigator can walk you through each step, but you file the application yourself, from your own VA.gov account. VeteranDegrees never asks for your login.

5. Choosing a Hybrid Program With Chapter 35

Many Chapter 35 students are adults with jobs, children or caregiving duties at home. That is where format matters. Because DEA pays the same monthly amount for the same training time, choosing online, hybrid or campus classes does not change your Chapter 35 payment. The choice is about your schedule and how you learn best. (If you use the Fry Scholarship instead, format can change your housing allowance; see our guide to the one-class rule.)

All three VeteranDegrees partner schools accept Chapter 35. Monroe University lists it among the VA benefits it accepts, and CIAM and Westcliff University accept it too. Formats differ by program:

• Monroe University (Bronx and New Rochelle, NY): Monroe offers hybrid courses in majors including the MBA, MPA, MS in Computer Science and BS in Professional Studies for the Winter 2027 semester, which begins January 8, 2027.
• Westcliff University (California, Florida and Dallas, TX): live online and on-campus classes, including the Professional Weekend format for graduate students.
• CIAM (Alhambra, CA): a hybrid MBA in Executive Management, plus the MS in Data Analytics and MA in Organizational Leadership, which are online.

Before you enroll, check three things:

• The gap between tuition and your payment. Chapter 35 does not pay the school, and the Yellow Ribbon Program does not apply to it. Compare a year of tuition and fees with twelve months of your monthly rate.
• Your credit load. Ask how many credits count as full time for your program each term.
• Other aid. Scholarships can help cover what DEA doesn't; try our Scholarship Finder.

6. FAQ

How much does Chapter 35 pay in 2026?

For full-time college enrollment, VA pays $1,574 a month through September 30, 2026, and $1,621 a month from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027. Three-quarter time pays $1,281 and half time $939 under the 2026–27 rates. The payment goes to the student, not the school.

Does Chapter 35 pay a housing allowance?

No. Chapter 35 has no separate housing allowance or books stipend. VA pays one flat monthly amount, set by your training time, that you use for tuition and living costs. The amount is the same whether your classes are online, hybrid or on campus.

Does a 100% disability rating qualify my child for Chapter 35?

Only if VA rated the disability permanent and total, or if another qualifying event applies, such as a service-connected death. A 100% rating that VA expects to review later does not qualify on its own. Check the veteran's VA decision letter for the words permanent and total.

Is there an age limit for Chapter 35, and can I use it after age 26?

It depends on when you became eligible. If you became eligible on or after August 1, 2023, there is no age limit and no time limit, so you can use Chapter 35 benefits after age 26. If you became eligible before that date, children generally have up to 8 years to use it before turning 26. VA allows some exceptions after 26, such as if you became eligible between ages 18 and 26 or served in the military yourself.

Can I use Chapter 35 and the Fry Scholarship?

Sometimes, but only one at a time. If your parent died in the line of duty before August 1, 2011, you may qualify for both, with a combined cap of 81 months of full-time training. If your parent died on or after August 1, 2011, you can use both only if you qualify for Chapter 35 through a different event, with a combined cap of 48 months.

How many months of Chapter 35 benefits do I get?

Up to 36 months if your school or training started on or after August 1, 2018, and up to 45 months if it started before that date. At full time, 36 months covers about four nine-month academic years.

Want to talk it through? A VeteranDegrees Navigator can help you compare Chapter 35, the Fry Scholarship and your family's other benefits, and shortlist programs that fit your schedule. Book a free Navigator call. No cost, no obligation to enroll anywhere. For the full picture of VA education benefits, start with our GI Bill® benefits guide, and before you commit to any school, run the program through our six-step check with VA's official GI Bill Comparison Tool and WEAMS.