Educational Benefits for Children of Veterans

By Brenda Sanders

Educational benefits for children of veterans fall under the category of DEA, Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program. This program was set up for spouses and dependents of disabled veterans. Another category was added to DEA in 2006. In 2009, for the first time, children of veterans who had education benefits that they had not used could be transferred to their dependents (Post GI Transfer of Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits to Dependents/TEB).

DEA allows children of certain disabled veterans to take advantage of education benefits. Children can get up to 3 years and 9 months of education benefits for any type of education or occupation training. In most cases, dependents must be at least 18 years of age and no more than 26 years old. Dependents enlisted in the military must wait until after they finish their service, and these children must be honorably discharged from the military.

Disabled veterans had to be in a certain category in order for children to be able to take advantage of education benefits. The veteran had to lose their life or become disabled as a result of being in the military. It had to be a permanent disability, and the veteran had to be completely disabled. Additionally, children of an ex-military person who died under a disability status would be eligible (regardless of the reason for the death). Other veteran statuses that would make dependents eligible include veterans missing while on active duty, taken prisoner, forcibly held in custody, or imprisoned for being a security threat while in the line of military duty.

In December of 2006, a new category of veterans became eligible. This means that the dependents of this new category would be eligible to receive education benefits. This new category includes enlisted military service people who are still in the military, but are either in the hospital or being treated for an unchanging and complete disability in which the military person will probably be let out of the military as a result of.

TEB is a program instituted in August of 2009 as part of the post-9/11 GI Bill program that allows those in the military to transfer education benefits to their children. Military service people may transfer the entire 3 years of education benefits or any unused portion of it to their dependents. In order to qualify, the child must be a member of Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS), have a high school diploma or equivalent, and be at least 18 years old; but no more than 26.

These military men must have served at least 10 years in the military on active duty on or the first day of August, 2009. Eligible service people can also have 6 years of active duty in the military if they agree to serve 4 more years. If a military person retires between August 1, 2009 and August 1, 2013, he may be eligible.

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