Chapter 35 Benefits Calculator — DEA Rates 2026

DEA is for the children and spouses of a veteran or service member (the "sponsor") who meets at least one of these conditions, per VA.gov:

• The veteran is permanently and totally (P&T) disabled due to a service-connected disability
• The veteran died as a result of a service-connected disability
• The service member died in the line of duty
• The service member is missing in action or captured in the line of duty by a hostile force for more than 90 days
• The service member is forcibly detained or interned by a foreign government or power for more than 90 days
• The service member is hospitalized or receiving outpatient treatment for a service-connected permanent and total disability and is likely to be discharged for that disability

Wondering if the sponsor's rating counts as P&T? See our P&T benefits guide.

VA now applies two different sets of time limits, based on when the qualifying event occurred:

• Qualifying event on or after August 1, 2023: VA states there is no time limit to use DEA benefits — and children can be any age.
• Qualifying event before August 1, 2023: Children generally must use the benefit between ages 18 and 26 (an 8-year window, with possible extensions). Spouses generally have 10 years from the date VA finds them eligible — extended to 20 years if the service member died on active duty or if VA rated the veteran permanently and totally disabled with an effective date within 3 years of discharge.

Extensions and edge cases exist (for example, children who serve in the military themselves). Your VA award letter states your exact delimiting date — verify it on VA.gov or with a VSO.

Per VA:

• If your school or training started on or after August 1, 2018, you can get up to 36 months of benefits.
• If your school or training started before August 1, 2018, you may be able to get up to 45 months.

Part-time attendance charges entitlement at a reduced rate, so part-time students stretch their months over a longer calendar period.

Chapter 35 works very differently from the Post-9/11 GI Bill:

• Flat stipend, not MHA: DEA pays one nationwide monthly rate. There is no location-based housing allowance tied to your school's ZIP code.
• No tuition payment to the school: VA sends the stipend to you; you pay tuition from it. The Post-9/11 GI Bill pays tuition directly to the school.
• No book stipend and no Yellow Ribbon: Those are Post-9/11 features only.
• Separate from transferred benefits: DEA is earned by the sponsor's disability or death — it is not the same as a veteran transferring Post-9/11 GI Bill months to a dependent.

1. Confirm the sponsor's status — P&T rating, or death in the line of duty / from a service-connected condition.
2. Apply with VA Form 22-5490 (Dependents' Application for VA Education Benefits) — online at VA.gov, by mail, or with help from a VSO.
3. Receive your Certificate of Eligibility and give it to your school's certifying official.
4. Your school certifies enrollment each term; VA pays the monthly stipend directly to you.

If you may also qualify for the Fry Scholarship, compare both before you apply — the election between them is generally binding.

For full-time enrollment at a college or university, Chapter 35 pays $1,574 per month from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Three-quarter-time pays $1,244, half-time pays $912, and quarter-time or less pays $393.50 (limited to the cost of tuition and fees). Rates adjust each October 1.

No. Chapter 35 pays one flat monthly stipend nationwide, regardless of where you attend school. Unlike the Post-9/11 GI Bill, there is no location-based Monthly Housing Allowance, no tuition payment sent to your school, and no separate book stipend — tuition comes out of the monthly stipend you receive.

Up to 36 months if your school or training started on or after August 1, 2018. If your school or training started before August 1, 2018, you may be able to get up to 45 months of benefits.

You must be the child or spouse of a veteran or service member who meets at least one of these:

• The veteran is permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected disability
• The veteran died as a result of a service-connected disability
• The service member died in the line of duty
• The service member is missing in action, captured, or forcibly detained by a foreign power for more than 90 days
• The service member is hospitalized for a service-connected permanent and total disability and likely to be discharged for it

If the qualifying event happened on or after August 1, 2023, VA says there is no time limit to use DEA benefits.

For earlier qualifying events, children generally must use the benefit between ages 18 and 26, and spouses generally have 10 years from the date VA finds them eligible — or 20 years if the service member died on active duty. Extensions are possible in some cases; verify your exact delimiting date with VA.

Chapter 35 is no longer part of the standard 48-month rule. Under 38 U.S.C. § 3695(a), combined use of most VA education programs (Chapters 30, 32, 33, 34, and 36, among others) may not exceed 48 months. Chapter 35 has its own rule in § 3695(c): combined use of Chapter 35 plus any of those other programs may not exceed 81 months.

The Fry Scholarship pays like the Post-9/11 GI Bill — tuition paid to the school, a location-based housing allowance, and a book stipend — while Chapter 35 DEA pays a flat monthly stipend you use for everything.

For most students attending school more than half-time, Fry is worth more, but DEA can win for low-cost or part-time programs. Dependents who qualify for both generally must elect one program, so compare carefully on VA.gov before applying.

Per VA, a surviving spouse can receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) and Chapter 35 DEA at the same time. A child who receives DIC generally must give up the DIC payments while using DEA benefits. Confirm your situation with VA before starting school.