Period of Eligibility
Dependents:
As a son or daughter, as long as you have entitlement left,
you may generally receive benefits under this program from
age 18 to 26 (8 years).
However, in certain instances, you may begin before age 18
and continue after age 26. In some instances, you may choose
among possible beginning dates.
If you're enrolled in training when your eligibility ends,
in most cases we can extend your eligibility to the end of
the semester or quarter, or to the end of twelve weeks if
the course isn't operated on a semester or quarter basis.
As a son or daughter, marriage doesn't affect your period
of eligibility.
Active Duty
Service Members: If you are in the Armed Forces,
you may not receive this benefit while on active duty. To
pursue training after military service, your discharge must
not be under dishonorable conditions. VA can extend your period
of eligibility by the number of months and days equal to the
time spent on active duty. This extension cannot go beyond
your 31st birthday.
If you were called to active duty on or after September 11,
2001, in most cases we can extend your eligibility period
by the number of months and days you spent on active duty
plus four months. This extension may go beyond your 31st birthday,
depending on the facts in your claim.
Spouses:
If you're a spouse and you're eligible because the veteran
has a permanent and total service-connected disability, benefits
generally end 10 years from one of the following dates:
-
Effective
date of the veteran's permanent and total disability
evaluation
-
Date
VA notifies the veteran of the permanent and total
disability evaluation
-
Beginning
date you choose, between the date you become eligible
and the date
-
VA
notifies the veteran of the permanent and total disability
evaluation
You
may not receive benefits while on active duty in the Armed Forces.
To receive benefits after military service, your discharge must
not be under dishonorable conditions.
If you were called to active duty on or after September 11,
2001, in most cases we can extend your eligibility period by
the number of months and days you spent on active duty plus
four months.
We can extend your 10-year eligibility period by the amount
of time you were prevented from training during that period
because of a disability.
If you're enrolled in training when your eligibility ends, in
most cases we can extend your eligibility to the end of the
semester or quarter, or to the end of twelve weeks if the course
isn't operated on a semester or quarter basis.
If marriage to the veteran ends in divorce, your eligibility
for DEA benefits ends on that date. But if you're in training,
and the divorce occurs through no fault of yours, we can extend
your eligibility as explained in the preceding paragraph.
If you're a spouse and you're eligible because the veteran or
service member is being held or is missing, as
If the veteran
or service member is released from captivity, or is determined
to be alive and no longer missing, your period of eligibility
ends on that date. If you're enrolled in training on that
date, your eligibility may be extended to the end of the term
or course.
Surviving
Spouses: If you're an eligible surviving
spouse and the veteran died of a service-connected disability,
you may choose the beginning date for your 10-year period
of eligibility. That date must be between the date of death
and the date we determine that the death was due to service-connected
disability.
If you're an eligible surviving spouse and the veteran had
a permanent and total service-connected disability at time
of death, the beginning date of your 10-year period is the
date of death.
We can extend your 10-year period by the amount of time you
were prevented from training during that period because of
disability.
If you're enrolled in training when your eligibility ends,
in most cases we can extend your eligibility to the end of
the semester or quarter, or to the end of twelve weeks if
the course isn't operated on a semester or quarter basis.
If you remarry, your eligibility ends on the date of remarriage.
However, if you remarried after Nov. 30, 1999, and your
remarriage ends, we may reinstate your eligibility to DEA.
The remarriage must be ended by death, divorce, or because
you stopped living with your spouse and stopped holding
yourself out to the public as the person's spouse. If you
remarried after Oct. 31, 1990, but before Nov. 30, 1999,
we can't reinstate your eligibility, even if your remarriage
ends.
Eligibility
| Receiving Benefits | More
Information | Back
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How to Apply
If you've decided on the program | If
you haven't decided | How to get the application
How
you apply for benefits depends on whether or not you've decided
on what program you want to take.
If You've Decided
on the Program
If you've decided on a program, follow these steps:
FIRST, find out whether the program you want to
take is approved for VA benefits — check with the
school's Financial Aid Office or training facility employment
office, or contact us (see How Do You Contact VA?).
If the facility hasn't requested approval before, ask an
official to contact VA to request approval. We'll refer
the official to the SAA. (Most programs are approved
for VA benefits by SAAs. VA approves some programs.)
If the program has been approved for VA benefits, check
in with the school or training facility official who
certifies enrollments for VA benefits.
At a school, this official may be in one of the following
offices: Financial Aid, Veterans Affairs, Registrar, Admissions,
Counseling, or other office. At an OJT or an apprenticeship,
the official may be in the Training, Finance, Human Resources,
or other office. Note: The certifying
official is not a VA employee.
SECOND, complete the application (VA Form 22-5490,
Application for Survivors' and Dependents' Educational
Assistance) and submit it to the appropriate VA regional
office.
THIRD, ask the school or training official to certify
your enrollment to VA.
If You Haven't Decided on the
Program
If you haven't decided on a program, or simply want a determination
of your eligibility for DEA, just submit the application.
If you're eligible, you'll receive a Certificate of Eligibility
showing how long you're eligible and how many months of benefits
you can receive.
How
do you get the application for benefits?
You can get the application in several ways:
-
Fill out the form online at
VONAPP.
-
-
Call
1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) and request the form.
(You may have difficulty getting through quickly
at the toll-free number, especially when school enrollments
are heavy. You may have more success by going to
the Internet site.)
-
-
You
may also be able to pick up the application from your
school or training facility.
Eligibility
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Information | Back
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Receiving Benefits
School (College/Vocational/Tech) | Cooperative | Apprenticeship/On-the-Job | Farm Cooperative | Correspondence
Below
are the current rates for DEA benefits, effective October
1, 2002. You can always find the current rates at www.gibill.va.gov.
School
(College or Vocational/Technical School)
