Published on US National (http://www.thebeehive.org)
Survivors’ and Dependents Educational Assistance Program (DEA)
The Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) program helps relatives of qualifying veterans pay for:
- Degree and certificate programs
- Job training
- Apprenticeship programs
The program offers up to 45 months of financial assistance.
Answers to common questions:
| Eligibility | Value | How to apply |
Eligibility
Children or spouses of veterans who
- Died from causes related to their service or died (from any causes) after getting a service-related disability.
- Are missing in action or captured
- Have a permanent disability that came from their service
Children of qualified veterans can get help with education when they are 18-26 years old. Spouses of qualified veterans are eligible for benefits for 10-20 years after the VA determines their eligibility, depending upon the circumstances.
Value
How much the benefit is worth depends on the type of education or training a student wants, and how many hours they are in school. Traditional institution-based education is paid for as follows:
| Training Time | Monthly Rate |
| Full time | $925 |
| 3/4 time | $694 |
| 1/2 time | $461 |
| between 1/4 time and 1/2 time | $461* |
| 1/4 time or less | $231.25* |
*Money can be used for tuition and fees only
Find out about DEA rates for other types of education.