Chapter 35 (DEA): the education benefit for a disabled veteran's spouse and children
The spouse and children of a veteran with a permanent and total service-connected disability may be eligible for monthly education assistance, verify with VA education service.
Who it is for, and the gate
Chapter 35, formally Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA), is an education benefit for the spouse and children of a qualifying veteran, not for the veteran. The statutory gate in 38 U.S.C. §3501 is a total disability permanent in nature resulting from a service-connected condition, or death from one.
That is the same permanent-and-total standard as CHAMPVA, and the same caveat applies: a 100% rating that is not permanent does not open this door. The two benefits often travel together for exactly that reason.
What it pays, and how to verify
The full-time institutional rate is $1,574.00 per month effective October 1, 2025; rates adjust each October 1. A beneficiary can generally receive up to 36 months of benefits, and time windows and age rules vary with when eligibility arose.
VA education service decides eligibility (VA Form 22-5490). Verify a specific dependent's eligibility and current rates with VA education before planning a program around it.
See it next to everything else your rating may open
The Benefits Explorer lists this program beside the rest of the federal set, and your state’s verified programs, keyed to your combined rating. Educational only. Every program is decided by the agency named on it.