VA Form 22-5495 is no longer a separate form. The Department of Veterans Affairs merged it into VA Form 22-1995, which is now the only form the VA accepts when a dependent or survivor already receiving education benefits wants to change schools, change majors, or start a different training program.1Veterans Affairs. About VA Form 22-1995 If a search or an older instruction sheet pointed you to 22-5495, use 22-1995 instead. Everything below explains who files it, what you need, and how it changes your payments.
Who Files VA Form 22-1995
You use this form if you’re already receiving VA education benefits and something about your program is changing. For dependents and survivors, that usually means one of three situations:
- You’re a spouse or child receiving Chapter 35 Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA).
- You’re a dependent using the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship.
- You’re a dependent using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits that were transferred to you.
Common reasons to file include transferring to a different college, switching from a degree program to a vocational certificate, or changing your declared major.1Veterans Affairs. About VA Form 22-1995
When This Isn’t the Right Form
If you’ve never received VA education benefits before, don’t file 22-1995. First-time dependent and survivor applicants file VA Form 22-5490 to establish eligibility under Chapter 35 DEA or the Fry Scholarship.2Veterans Affairs. About VA Form 22-5490
Confirm the New Program Is VA-Approved Before You File
The VA won’t pay benefits for a program that hasn’t been approved by the relevant State Approving Agency, no matter what your form says. Search for your new school and program in the VA’s GI Bill Comparison Tool at va.gov/education/gi-bill-comparison-tool before you submit anything.
It’s also worth contacting the School Certifying Official (SCO) at the new institution. The SCO is the person who certifies your enrollment dates, credit hours, and program details to the VA through the Enrollment Manager system.3Veterans Affairs. Role of the SCO – Education and Training The VA will reach out to them to verify what you put on your form, and a quick email in advance can head off delays.
Information to Have Ready
Gather this before you start the form:
- The veteran’s full name, Social Security number, and VA file number.
- Your own Social Security number, date of birth, and current mailing address, phone number, and email.
- The name and address of your previous school, the program you were enrolled in, and the date you stopped or plan to stop attending.
- The name and address of your new school, the specific degree or certificate you’re pursuing (for example, “Bachelor of Science in Nursing” or “HVAC Technician Certificate”), and your expected start date.
- Your bank’s routing number and your account number, if you want payments deposited electronically.
Cross-check every entry against your enrollment confirmation from the new school. Mismatches between your form and what the SCO certifies are one of the most common causes of delayed payments.
How to Submit
The fastest option is filing online at va.gov/forms/22-1995. You’ll need a VA.gov account, and the system gives you an immediate confirmation that the VA received your request.1Veterans Affairs. About VA Form 22-1995
If you’d rather mail a paper form, send it to the Regional Processing Office that covers your new school’s location, not your home address. The VA operates two:4Veterans Affairs. Regional Processing Office Addresses for GI Bill Applications
- Muskogee RPO, Department of Veterans Affairs, PO Box 8888, Muskogee, OK 74402-8888. Handles schools in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and the trust territories.
- Buffalo RPO, Department of Veterans Affairs, PO Box 4616, Buffalo, NY 14240-4616. Handles schools in all remaining states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and schools outside the United States.
Keep a photocopy of the completed form and your mailing receipt.
What Happens After You Submit
The VA reviews your new program to confirm it meets the standards for your benefit and contacts the SCO at the new school to verify your enrollment. You’ll get a decision notice by mail or through the online portal. If something’s missing, the VA sends a development letter spelling out exactly what it needs. Status updates for online submissions often appear in the va.gov benefits portal before a paper letter arrives.
How Changing Schools Affects Your Payments
A transfer can shift what the VA pays you, and in some cases it creates a gap where you’re paid nothing at all.
Enrollment Gaps
The VA pays education benefits only during certified enrollment periods, not during breaks or intervals between institutions.5LinkVet. GI Bill Benefits During Semester Breaks If your last day at the old school and your first day at the new one don’t line up, plan for a stretch without payments. That matters most for mid-year transfers, where the gap can be weeks long.
Housing Allowance Under the Fry Scholarship
Fry Scholarship recipients get a monthly housing allowance tied to the zip code of the campus where they physically attend most of their classes. The VA calculates it using the Defense Department’s Basic Allowance for Housing rate for an E-5 with dependents. For the academic year running August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2026, the VA uses 2025 BAH rates.6Veterans Affairs. Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) Rates Moving from a high-cost area to a lower-cost one will reduce that payment, sometimes by a lot. Look up the BAH rate for the new zip code through the Defense Department’s BAH calculator before you commit.
Chapter 35 DEA
Chapter 35 DEA pays a flat national stipend, so a location change doesn’t affect the amount. From October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026, full-time students receive $1,574 per month.7Veterans Affairs. Chapter 35 Rates for Survivors and Dependents A reduced course load at the new school, however, will lower the monthly payment proportionally.
If You File Late and the VA Overpays You
A delayed change-of-program filing can leave the VA paying benefits tied to a school you’ve already left. The VA classifies the extra money as an overpayment and sends a debt collection letter. Late charges and interest accrue if you ignore it, and the debt can be referred to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.8Veterans Affairs. Manage Your VA Debt for Benefit Overpayments and Copay Bills
If you think the debt is wrong, dispute it in writing within 30 days of the first debt letter. The VA pauses collection while it reviews. You can submit a dispute online through Ask VA or by mail to the Debt Management Center, PO Box 11930, St. Paul, MN 55111.9Veterans Affairs. VA Debt Management
If the debt is valid but you can’t pay it all at once, you can ask for a repayment plan or apply for a waiver within one year of the first debt letter.8Veterans Affairs. Manage Your VA Debt for Benefit Overpayments and Copay Bills Questions go to the Debt Management Center at 800-827-0648 (TTY: 711), Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET.9Veterans Affairs. VA Debt Management If the letter says the debt has been referred to Treasury, call the number on the letter instead; the Debt Management Center can’t help at that stage.
Filing 22-1995 as soon as you know you’re changing programs is the cleanest way to avoid the problem in the first place.