Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Rates
Updated: January 17, 2024Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program rates for the 2023-2024 year are effective from Oct. 1, 2023, through Sept. 30, 2024.
Your class start date – not the end date – determines which year’s charts you should use, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. For example, if your class starts in August 2023, you will receive the 2023-2024 rate.
Every year, these rates increase to offset the costs of education as they rise from inflation. The benefits for most survivors and dependents last up to 36 months of schooling. If the dependent first accessed the benefits before Aug. 1, 2018, then they will last up to 45 months.
The DEA program provides education and training opportunities to eligible dependents and survivors of certain veterans. Dependents of veterans who died in the line of duty or have a service-connected “permanent and total” VA disability rating are eligible for DEA benefits.
Here are the rates, according to the VA.
Rate Charts for 2024
(Effective Oct. 1, 2023-Sept. 30, 2024)
Institutional Training
TRAINING TIME | MONTHLY RATE |
---|---|
Full time | $1,488 |
3/4 time | $1,176 |
1/2 time | $862 |
Less than 1/2 time and more than 1/4 time | $862 or cost of tuition/fees, whichever is less |
1/4 time or less | $372 or cost of tuition/fees, whichever is less |
Correspondence programs: Eligible spouses and surviving spouses receive an allowance of 55% of the fee for the number of lessons completed and serviced by the school. This allowance is paid quarterly.
Co-operative training: The entitlement is charged at the rate of one month for each $1,488 paid. This does not apply to farm co-operatives.
** Tuition and fees only. Payment cannot exceed the listed amount.
Apprenticeship and On-the-job Training**
TRAINING PERIOD | MONTHLY RATE |
---|---|
Months 1 to 6 | $945 |
Months 7 to 12 | $710 |
Months 13 to 18 | $466 |
More than 19 months | $237 |
Non-college degree programs**
TRAINING TIME | MONTHLY RATE |
---|---|
Full time | $1,488 |
3/4 time | $1,176 |
1/2 time | $862 |
Less than 1/2 time, but more than 1/4 time | $862 or cost of tuition/fees, whichever is less |
1/4 time or less | $372 or cost of tuition/fees, whichever is less |
Special Restorative Training
TRAINING PERIOD | MONTHLY RATE |
---|---|
Full time | $1,488 |
Accelerated Charges, tuition/fee costs over... | $392 |
Entitlement Reduced 1 day for Each | $49.60 (1/30 of the full-time rate) |