To apply for Chapter 35 benefits, submit VA Form 22-5490, the Dependents’ Application for VA Education Benefits, online at VA.gov, by mail to the VA regional processing office that serves your school’s state, or in person at any VA regional office. Chapter 35 is the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program, and the application itself is short. The work is in confirming eligibility and gathering documents first, so the form goes through without a request for more information.
Confirm You’re Eligible Before You Apply
DEA is for the spouse or child of a veteran or service member who meets at least one of these conditions: permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability, died from a service-connected cause, died in the line of duty on active duty, or has been missing in action, captured by a hostile force, or forcibly detained by a foreign government for more than 90 days.1U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA)
The veteran’s discharge matters too. Benefits are generally available when service ended under conditions other than dishonorable; an honorable discharge is accepted by the VA without further review. Discharges resulting from a general court-martial, desertion, or extended absence without leave can disqualify a veteran’s dependents from receiving DEA.2eCFR. 38 CFR 3.12 – Benefit Eligibility Based on Character of Discharge
One eligibility rule is worth checking before you spend time on the form. If you’re a child and became eligible for DEA, turned 18, or finished high school on or after August 1, 2023, there is no age limit and no time limit on using your benefits. If all three happened before August 1, 2023, you generally have eight years and the window closes at age 26, with some exceptions.1U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA)
Spouses who became eligible on or after August 1, 2023, face no time limit. Spouses whose eligibility began before that date generally have 10 years from the VA’s eligibility determination or from the veteran’s death, extended to 20 years if the service member died on active duty or if the VA rated the veteran as permanently and totally disabled with an effective date at least three years after discharge.3MyArmyBenefits. Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance Program (DEA)
Gather Your Documents First
Tracking down a missing document mid-application is the most common reason people abandon the form and have to restart. Have everything in one place before you begin.
You will need the veteran or service member’s VA file number and Social Security number. You will need your own Social Security number, date of birth, and contact information. Have your bank account and routing numbers ready for direct deposit. Depending on your relationship to the veteran, a marriage certificate or birth certificate may be required. If the veteran has died, a death certificate or VA disability rating letter may be needed to establish eligibility.
You will also be asked about your school and program. If you’ve chosen a school, look up its VA facility code using the GI Bill Comparison Tool on VA.gov, which searches approved institutions.4Veterans Affairs. GI Bill Comparison Tool If you haven’t chosen one yet, you can still apply and update the school information later.
If You Might Also Qualify for the Fry Scholarship, Decide First
If your spouse or parent died in the line of duty, you may qualify for both DEA and the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship. The Fry Scholarship pays at Post-9/11 GI Bill rates, which typically cover full tuition at public institutions plus a housing allowance; DEA pays a flat monthly allowance. For many applicants Fry is more generous, but it depends on the school.
Surviving spouses must make a permanent, irrevocable choice between the two programs. Once you elect one, you cannot switch.5Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship Fact Sheet Children have more flexibility. If your parent died before August 1, 2011, you may use both programs, though not simultaneously, up to a combined 81 months of full-time training. If your parent died on or after that date, you can use both only if you qualify for DEA through a separate event, with a combined cap of 48 months.6Veterans Affairs. Fry Scholarship
One detail catches people off guard: children receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation must give up those payments while using the Fry Scholarship. Surviving spouses can receive DIC and the Fry Scholarship at the same time.6Veterans Affairs. Fry Scholarship
Submit VA Form 22-5490
The form is titled “Dependents’ Application for VA Education Benefits.” You have three ways to submit it.
Online
The fastest route is to complete and submit the form through the VA’s education benefits portal at VA.gov. The online version walks you through each section and lets you save your progress.7Veterans Affairs. Survivor and Dependent Benefits 22-5490
By Mail
Download VA Form 22-5490 from the VA website or pick one up at a regional office. Mail the completed form to the regional processing office that serves the state where your school is located. If you haven’t chosen a school, mail it to the office serving your home state.
Eastern Region (Buffalo): VA Regional Office, P.O. Box 4616, Buffalo, NY 14240-4616. Serves CT, CO, DC, DE, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and foreign schools.
Western Region (Muskogee): VA Regional Office, P.O. Box 8888, Muskogee, OK 74402-8888. Serves AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, FL, GA, HI, ID, LA, MS, NM, NV, OK, OR, PR, SC, TX, UT, WA, American Samoa, Guam, and the Mariana Islands.8Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Form 22-5490 Application for Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance
In Person
You can submit the form at any VA regional office. Staff can help you complete it and answer questions on the spot.
After You Apply
The VA sends a confirmation of receipt after you submit. During review, the VA may contact you for additional documents or clarification. Processing times vary; expect several weeks.
The decision arrives by mail as a formal letter, and you can also access it online through your VA.gov account.9Veterans Affairs. Can I Get a Copy of My Education Decision Letter If approved, you’ll receive a Certificate of Eligibility. Give the COE or your most recent Award Letter to your school’s certifying official, who enrolls you in the VA’s system so payments can begin.10Department of Veterans Affairs. Education and Training – Understanding Your Award Letter
Verify Enrollment Every Month to Get Paid
Approval alone does not trigger monthly payments. You must verify your enrollment each month, and a missed verification means a missed payment. You have four options:
- Online, by signing in to the VA’s enrollment verification tool at VA.gov with a Login.gov or ID.me account and confirming your credit or clock hours and enrollment dates.
- By text, if you opt in, replying “yes” to the VA’s monthly message.
- By email, if you skip the text option, responding to the monthly prompt.
- By phone at 888-442-4551 (TTY: 711), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET.
Once you verify, payments typically arrive in your bank account within 7 to 10 business days.
If Your Application Is Denied
A denial letter explains the reason and outlines three review paths. A Supplemental Claim lets you submit new evidence the VA didn’t have originally, and it’s the right choice when you have a document that answers the reason for denial. A Higher-Level Review puts your same file in front of a more senior VA reviewer, with no new evidence allowed. A Board Appeal sends the case to a Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals; it’s the most thorough option and the slowest.12Veterans Affairs. VA Decision Reviews and Appeals
Each option has a deadline printed in your decision letter. Read the letter carefully as soon as it arrives; missing a deadline narrows your choices.