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Chapter 35: education money for your spouse and kids
Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) pays your spouse or child a monthly check for school or training. The trigger is P&T status, not just a 100% rating.
At a glance
| Who | Spouse or child of a veteran who is permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability, or who died of a service-connected disability, or died on active duty, or is MIA/POW |
| Rating needed | 100% P&T. The law says "total disability permanent in nature": rated total for compensation, and expected to last your whole life (38 U.S.C. 3501(a)(8), 38 CFR 3.340(b)) |
| How much | Up to 36 months (45 if the student started before Aug 1, 2018). Full-time rate $1,621 a month starting Oct 1, 2026 ($1,574 for Oct 2025 to Sept 2026) |
| Form | VA Form 22-5490, online |
| Official page | va.gov Chapter 35 |
What "100% P&T" actually means
Three different things get called "100%." Only one of them turns on Chapter 35:
- 100% schedular, temporary or subject to re-exam. VA thinks you might improve. Not P&T. No Chapter 35.
- 100% schedular, permanent. VA has decided the condition will not improve. P&T. Chapter 35 yes.
- TDIU (unemployability), paid at the 100% rate. This is a "total" rating. If VA also marks it permanent, it is P&T and Chapter 35 applies. VA's own pages do not spell out the TDIU case in plain words, so get your P&T status confirmed in your benefits letter. Needs verification
How to check: download your VA benefits letter on VA.gov. Look for "permanent and total" or the line "Dependents' Educational Assistance established."
Time limits and ages
- Children, eligibility on or after Aug 1, 2023: any age, no time limit.
- Children, eligibility before Aug 1, 2023: generally ages 18 to 26, with extensions for military service and some other cases.
- Spouses, qualifying event on or after Aug 1, 2023: no time limit.
- Spouses, before Aug 1, 2023: usually 10 years from the eligibility date (20 years if the service member died on active duty).
2026 to 2027 monthly rates (effective Oct 1, 2026)
| Full time | $1,621.00 |
| Three-quarter time | $1,281.00 |
| Half time | $939.00 |
| Quarter time or less | $405.25 (or tuition and fees, whichever is less) |
| Apprenticeship/OJT, months 1 to 6 | $1,029.00 |
Chapter 35 rates change every October 1. Paid to the student, not the school. The student still pays tuition.
Traps
- Chapter 35 is not transferred GI Bill. You do not have to give up any of your own benefits. Your family gets it on top of yours.
- Pick one program at a time. A dependent eligible for both Chapter 35 and the Fry Scholarship must choose for each period of use.
- High school programs: starting Aug 1, 2026, Chapter 35 no longer pays for secondary (high school) programs. Needs verification
How to apply
- Student creates a VA.gov account.
- Submit VA Form 22-5490 online.
- Give the Certificate of Eligibility to the school's certifying official.
Sources
- VA Chapter 35 DEA (page updated Sep 22, 2026)
- Chapter 35 rates (Oct 1, 2026) (page updated Oct 14, 2026)
- 38 U.S.C. 3501 definitions
- 38 CFR 3.340 total and permanent total ratings
- VA Form 22-5490 (form revised Jan 2025)
All links checked and content verified on Oct 16, 2026. Rules change; confirm on the official page before you act.