The GI Bill covers three separate benefits for dependents, and what it pays for depends on which one your family qualifies for. Transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits pay tuition directly to the school (up to $29,920.95 per year at private schools for 2025–2026), plus a monthly housing allowance and up to $1,000 a year for books. Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) pays a flat monthly check to the student instead, currently $1,574 for full-time enrollment. The Fry Scholarship, for families of service members who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001, pays at the same rates as the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
The Three Programs at a Glance
Which program applies to you is not a choice so much as a matter of your family’s circumstances. The rules don’t overlap much.
- Transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33). A living service member voluntarily assigns up to 36 months of their own unused entitlement to a spouse or child. The VA pays tuition to the school and a housing allowance and book stipend to the student.
- Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA, Chapter 35). For dependents of veterans who died from a service-connected condition, are permanently and totally disabled from one, died on active duty, or are missing, captured, or forcibly detained for more than 90 days. Pays a single flat monthly amount to the student.
- Fry Scholarship (Chapter 33). For children and surviving spouses of service members who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001. Pays at Post-9/11 GI Bill rates.
A family eligible for both DEA and the Fry Scholarship can use both, but not simultaneously, and combined entitlement is capped at 48 months if the service member died on or after August 1, 2011.1Veterans Affairs. Fry Scholarship
What Transferred Post-9/11 Benefits Pay For
Tuition and Fees
At public schools, the VA pays the full in-state tuition and mandatory fees.2Veterans Affairs. How We Determine Your Post-9/11 GI Bill Coverage At private or foreign schools, the VA pays actual tuition and fees up to an annual national cap. For the 2025–2026 academic year (August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2026), that cap is $29,920.95.3Federal Register. Increase in Maximum Tuition and Fee Amounts Payable Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill
If a private school charges more than that, the Yellow Ribbon Program can help. Participating schools agree to cover a portion of the excess, and the VA matches that amount. The dependent must be eligible for transferred benefits at the 100% level, the school must participate, and spots go first-come, first-served.4U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Veterans Benefits Administration. Post-9/11 GI Bill Yellow Ribbon Program Fact Sheet
Monthly Housing Allowance
Students enrolled more than half-time receive a monthly housing allowance based on the Department of Defense’s Basic Allowance for Housing rate for an E-5 with dependents, calculated using the zip code of the school.5Veterans Affairs. Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) Rates The dollar figure varies widely by location; a student in San Francisco will receive considerably more than one in rural Kansas.
One rule catches spouses off guard. A spouse using transferred benefits receives no housing allowance while the service member is still on active duty. Children do receive the allowance during that period.6Veterans Affairs. Transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefit Rates
Students taking classes entirely online receive a reduced amount based on half the national average housing rate. For 2025–2026, that maximum is $1,169 per month.5Veterans Affairs. Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) Rates
Books and Supplies
On top of tuition and housing, the VA pays up to $1,000 per academic year for books and supplies.5Veterans Affairs. Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) Rates
What DEA Pays
DEA works differently, and the difference matters. Instead of paying tuition directly to the school with a separate housing allowance on top, DEA sends the student a single flat monthly check. That money has to cover tuition, fees, books, housing, and everything else. As of October 1, 2025, the full-time rate for students at colleges and non-college degree programs is $1,574 per month.7Veterans Affairs. Chapter 35 Rates for Survivors and Dependents
The rate steps down with enrollment level:
- Three-quarter time: $1,244 per month
- Half-time: $912 per month
- Quarter-time or less: $393.50 per month, or the cost of tuition and fees, whichever is less
For apprenticeships and on-the-job training, DEA starts at $999 per month for the first six months and decreases from there.7Veterans Affairs. Chapter 35 Rates for Survivors and Dependents DEA provides up to 45 months of full-time training, more than the 36-month cap under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 USC Ch 35 – Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance
At an expensive school, $1,574 a month will not come close to covering costs. If a family qualifies for both DEA and the Fry Scholarship, the Fry benefit is almost always the better financial deal. Compare carefully before choosing.
What the Fry Scholarship Covers
The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship pays at Post-9/11 GI Bill rates: full tuition coverage at public schools, up to the annual cap at private ones, plus the monthly housing allowance and up to $1,000 a year for books.9Veterans Affairs. Fry Scholarship Rates Entitlement lasts up to 36 months.
There is a tradeoff for children. A child receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) must give up those payments while using the Fry Scholarship. Surviving spouses keep their DIC while enrolled.1Veterans Affairs. Fry Scholarship
Flight training is covered but capped separately. For the Fry Scholarship, the tuition cap for flight training is $17,097.67 for the 2025–2026 year.9Veterans Affairs. Fry Scholarship Rates
Beyond a Four-Year Degree
None of these programs is limited to traditional college. Dependents can use their benefits for a range of training options:10Veterans Affairs. Non-College Degree Programs
- Vocational and technical training such as HVAC, truck driving, EMT certification, and cosmetology.
- Apprenticeships and on-the-job training, where the VA pays a monthly amount on top of wages from the employer. Because those wages are expected to rise over time, the VA payment steps down as the apprenticeship progresses.
- Licensing and certification exams, along with prep courses, reimbursed by the VA.
- National tests like the SAT and GRE.
- Flight training for certain aviation certificates and ratings.
- Correspondence courses, though these come without a housing allowance.
Taxes and Financial Aid
All GI Bill education payments, whether tuition, housing, or book money, are tax-free. You do not report them as income on your federal return.11Internal Revenue Service. Tax Benefits for Education
On the FAFSA, VA education benefits count as a resource, not income. Listing them in the income section can shrink need-based aid you would otherwise qualify for. Report them only in the FAFSA questions specifically asking about veterans’ educational benefits.
How to Apply
The application form depends on the program. For transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, the service member first requests the transfer through the DoD milConnect website. Once approved, the dependent files VA Form 22-1990e, Application for Family Member to Use Transferred Benefits.12Veterans Affairs. Apply to Use Transferred Education Benefits
For DEA or the Fry Scholarship, dependents file VA Form 22-5490, Dependents’ Application for VA Education Benefits.13Veterans Affairs. About VA Form 22-5490
The VA takes about 30 days on average to process the application and mail a decision letter.14Veterans Affairs. After You Apply for Education Benefits Give the approval documentation to the certifying official at your school, who will certify your enrollment with the VA to start payments. Tuition and fees under the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Fry Scholarship go directly to the school; housing allowances and book stipends go to the student.