Fry Scholarship

Last updated: July 7, 2026, reflecting VA policy current as of July 2026

The Marine Gunnery Sgt. John David Fry Scholarship provides GI Bill education benefits to the surviving spouses and children of servicemembers and Selected Reserve members who died in the line of duty on or after Sept. 11, 2001. Rates update every Aug. 1.

The figures on this page are the rates for August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2027.

Quick facts:

• Pays full tuition and fees at public schools for students attending in the state where the school is located, and up to $30,908.34 annually at private or foreign schools
• Includes a monthly housing allowance and up to $1,000/year for books and supplies
• Provides up to 36 months of benefits at the 100% level
• Surviving spouses no longer lose eligibility if they remarry, following a 2025 law change
• This is a separate program from DEA/Chapter 35, which covers dependents of veterans who are permanently disabled or died from a service-connected disability.

Fry Scholarship Eligibility

You may be eligible for the Fry Scholarship if you’re the child or surviving spouse of a servicemember or Selected Reserve member who died on or after Sept. 11, 2001, and one of the following is true, according to the VA:

• The servicemember died in the line of duty while on active duty
• The servicemember died from a service-connected disability within 120 days of being discharged from active duty or released from duty
• The Selected Reserve member died in the line of duty other than active duty
• The Selected Reserve member died from a service-connected disability

Grades don’t affect eligibility for the Fry Scholarship.

Dependent Children

Dependent children become eligible when they turn 18 or graduate high school (or earn a GED), whichever comes first. Marriage doesn’t affect a child’s eligibility.

• If you qualified before Jan. 1, 2013, you can use benefits until you turn 33.
• If you qualified on or after Jan. 1, 2013, or your parent was a Selected Reserve member who died in the line of duty or from a service-connected disability, there’s no time limit to use the benefit.

Surviving Spouses

Surviving spouses can use the Fry Scholarship regardless of remarriage. Under the Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act of 2025, the previous rule that cut off spousal eligibility 15 years after the servicemember’s death or upon remarriage has been removed. Surviving spouses can now access these benefits at any time.

If your Fry Scholarship benefits had previously expired, VA will restore them for use any time after Jan. 2, 2025, even if you’ve since remarried. You’ll need to reapply using VA Form 22-5490 to get your benefits restored.

You can still receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) while using the Fry Scholarship.

Fry Scholarship Benefits

The Fry Scholarship provides:

• Up to 36 months of benefits at the 100% level
• Full tuition and fees, paid directly to the school, for students at public schools attending in the state where the school is located; tuition and fees are capped for private, foreign, and non-degree programs (see rates below)
• A monthly housing allowance
• A book and supplies stipend
• Access to the Yellow Ribbon Program if your school’s tuition exceeds the annual cap
• Tutorial assistance and work study eligibility

Fry Scholarship Rates 2026-2027

These are the maximum amounts VA pays for the 2026-2027 academic year, covering August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2027. Your class start date determines which year’s rate applies to you. If your term starts before Aug. 1, 2026, your rate is based on the prior year’s (lower) cap.

Tuition and Fees

School Type	Maximum Benefit (2026 to 2027)
Public institution (student attending in the state where the school is located)	Full net tuition and mandatory fees
Private institution	Up to $30,908.34
Foreign institution	Up to $30,908.34 (in U.S. dollars)
Non-degree program (e.g., HVAC, EMT, truck driving)	Up to $30,908.34
Flight training	Up to $17,661.89
Correspondence school (surviving spouses only)	Up to $15,012.59

You may be able to get in-state tuition rates at a public school even if you don’t formally reside in that state.

Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA)

Your MHA is based on the Department of Defense’s Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rate for an E-5 with dependents, using the zip code where you attend school. You’re not eligible for MHA if you’re enrolled half-time or less, taking correspondence or flight training exclusively, or on a school break.

• In-person courses (rate of pursuit over 50%): Paid based on local BAH rates and your rate of pursuit
• Online only programs: Up to $1,261/month (half the national average)
• Foreign institutions: Up to $2,522/month (the full national average)

Books and Supplies

Up to $1,000 per academic year, paid proportionally based on enrollment, at the start of each term.

Additional Payments

• Rural relocation grant: A single $500 payment if you live in a highly rural county (6 or fewer people per square mile) and need to relocate 500+ miles or fly to attend school
• Tutorial assistance: Up to $100/month, capped at $1,200 total, if you’re struggling with coursework
• Work study: Extra income available for part-time work related to VA programs
• Yellow Ribbon Program: Covers the gap if your school’s tuition exceeds the maximum payment above

On-the-Job Training and Apprenticeships

MHA is prorated based on hours worked per month, using the same E-5 with dependents BAH rate. Books and supplies stipends (up to $1,000/year) are also available.

Preparatory Courses and Testing Fees

• Preparatory courses: entitlement is charged at 1 month for every $2,508.33 VA pays
• Licensing and certification tests: VA pays up to $2,000, charged at 1 month of entitlement per $2,578.64
• National tests: no cap on reimbursement, charged at 1 month of entitlement per $2,578.64

How to Apply for the Fry Scholarship

Apply online through your VA.gov account, or complete VA Form 22-5490, the Dependents’ Application for VA Education Benefits, and send it to the VA regional office where you plan to attend school. If you’ve already started school, have your school’s certifying official complete VA Form 22-1999, VA Enrollment Certification.

Using the Fry Scholarship with DEA

In most cases, you can’t use both the Fry Scholarship and DEA. You’ll need to choose one when you apply, and you can’t switch later. The one exception: children of servicemembers who died in the line of duty before Aug. 1, 2011, may use both, up to a combined 81 months, though only one program at a time.

Fry Scholarship FAQs

Can I use the Yellow Ribbon Program with the Fry Scholarship? Yes. Since Aug. 1, 2018, Fry Scholarship recipients can use Yellow Ribbon benefits if their school’s tuition exceeds the annual cap.

Do I lose my Fry Scholarship if I remarry? No. As of the 2025 Elizabeth Dole Act, surviving spouses keep Fry Scholarship eligibility regardless of remarriage, and previously expired benefits can be restored for use after Jan. 2, 2025.

How do I apply for the Fry Scholarship? Apply online via VA.gov, or submit VA Form 22-5490 to your VA regional office. See the application section above for details.

Can I use the Fry Scholarship and DEA together? Generally no. You must choose one. See the section above for the narrow exception.

History of the Fry Scholarship

The Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-32) created the Fry Scholarship, amending the Post-9/11 GI Bill to provide education benefits to children of servicemembers who died in the line of duty after Sept. 10, 2001. The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 expanded eligibility to surviving spouses. Most recently, the Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act of 2025 removed the remarriage-based expiration of spousal eligibility and restored access to benefits that had previously expired.

Marine Gunnery Sgt. John David Fry was killed in action on March 8, 2006, while disarming an IED in Anbar Province, Iraq. He was 28 years old and left behind his wife, Malia, and three young children. The Fry Scholarship honors his memory and has since helped send thousands of children and spouses of fallen service members to college and other postsecondary programs.