Fry Scholarship: Current VA Education Benefits for Children and Surviving Spouses

Fry Scholarship: Current VA Education Benefits for Children and Surviving Spouses

The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship, usually called the Fry Scholarship, is an education benefit administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It is for eligible children and surviving spouses of a service member or member of the Selected Reserve who died on or after September 11, 2001. The benefit follows the Post-9/11 GI Bill structure, so support can include tuition and fees, a housing payment, books and supplies, and several education-related costs.

This is an active, ongoing VA benefit rather than a scholarship with one annual contest or a single cohort date. The official Fry Scholarship page does not publish a yearly application deadline. Eligible people can apply when they are preparing to use the benefit, then work with the certifying official at their approved school or training program. The deadline field for this opportunity is therefore ongoing; it should not be replaced with a past academic-year date.

The benefit is substantial, but it is not a promise that every school or every living expense will be paid in full. The amount depends on the type of program, the school, the rate of pursuit, the location where classes take place, and the current VA payment tables. A student should confirm the exact program and current rate before making an enrollment decision.

Key details at a glance

Who may qualify

VA says you may be eligible if you are the child or surviving spouse of a service member or member of the Selected Reserve who died on or after September 11, 2001, and one of the qualifying service circumstances applies. The current VA list includes these situations:

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

The phrase “in the line of duty other than active duty” has a specific meaning in this context. VA explains that it can cover a Reserve member serving on active duty for training or inactive duty training. It does not include an Army or Air National Guard member serving under State orders, sometimes called State Active Duty. A family should use the official VA eligibility review rather than assume that a military status or type of order qualifies.

Rules for children

A child may be married or unmarried. To start using the benefit, one of these must be true, whichever comes first: the child is at least 18 years old, or the child has graduated from high school or earned a GED. If a child is receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, or DIC, VA says those payments must be given up when the child starts using the Fry Scholarship.

The time limit depends on the qualifying death and the child’s education history. If the parent died on or after January 1, 2013, there is no time limit for using the Fry Scholarship. If the parent died before January 1, 2013, VA generally describes eligibility through age 33, but says there is no time limit when the child turned 18, graduated from high school, or earned a GED after January 1, 2013. The exact rule should be confirmed with VA when the child’s dates fall near one of these conditions.

Some children may also qualify for DEA, the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance program. The programs have special coordination rules. For a parent who died in the line of duty before August 1, 2011, VA says the child may qualify for both programs but can use only one at a time, with combined benefits capped at 81 months of full-time training. For a parent who died on or after August 1, 2011, both programs may be possible only when the child qualifies for DEA under a different event; only one may be used at a time, and combined benefits are capped at 48 months of full-time training.

Rules for surviving spouses

VA says a surviving spouse keeps Fry Scholarship eligibility after remarriage if the spouse qualified through the previous marriage. VA may also restore unused Fry Scholarship benefits that expired, for use anytime after January 2, 2025, even if the spouse has remarried. The spouse must apply again with VA Form 22-5490 to request restoration. Unlike a child receiving DIC, a surviving spouse may continue receiving DIC while using the Fry Scholarship, according to the current VA program page.

What the benefit can pay for

The core entitlement is up to 36 months. VA lists the following possible costs:

• Tuition and fees
• Housing
• Books and supplies
• Tutorial assistance
• National exams
• Licensing and certification tests and prep courses
• Work Study
• Moving from a rural area to attend school

The word “may” matters. Each payment has its own rules, and some benefits are unavailable for particular types of training or levels of enrollment.

Tuition and fees

For a public institution of higher learning, the current VA rates page says the department pays net tuition and mandatory fees. A student may be able to receive in-state tuition treatment even without having lived in the state where the school is located. The school’s certifying official can help confirm how the institution will certify the enrollment.

For the rates effective August 1, 2025, to July 31, 2026, VA lists these maximums for several program types:

• Private institutions of higher learning: up to $29,920.95 for net tuition and mandatory fees.
• Foreign institutions of higher learning: up to $29,920.95 in U.S. dollars.
• Non-college degree programs, such as HVAC repair, truck driving, EMT, or beautician training: up to $29,920.95.
• Flight training: up to $17,097.67.
• Correspondence school: up to $14,533 for surviving spouses using the Fry Scholarship.

These are rate-table limits for the stated academic period, not a guarantee that every applicant receives the maximum. A private school with tuition above the applicable limit may participate in Yellow Ribbon, which can provide added payments when the school and VA requirements are met.

Housing

An eligible student may receive a monthly housing allowance at the end of each month. VA says MHA is not paid when the student is in school half time or less, is taking correspondence or flight training, or is on a school break. For in-person courses in the United States, the calculation uses the Department of Defense Basic Allowance for Housing rate for an E-5 with dependents and the ZIP code where training takes place. The payment is then prorated using the student’s rate of pursuit and the location where most classes are physically attended.

For online-only study, the current rates page says the MHA is based on half the national average. For someone who started using benefits on or after January 1, 2018, the listed maximum is $1,169 per month for the rate period above. A student taking at least one class in person may qualify for the higher resident MHA instead. Foreign institutions use the national-average calculation, with a listed maximum of $2,338 per month for the same group and period. Because housing rates can change, applicants should check the live VA rate table rather than rely on an old estimate.

Books, supplies, and added assistance

VA may provide up to $1,000 each academic year for books and supplies for each eligible program. For college or university enrollment, the current table describes up to $41.67 per credit hour for up to 24 credits per year, prorated by the percentage of benefits for which the student qualifies. Non-college degree, apprenticeship, and on-the-job training programs may instead receive up to $83 per month, also prorated. Books and supplies are not available when the Fry Scholarship is being used for flight training or correspondence training.

Tutorial assistance may provide up to $100 per month, with a $1,200 total limit, for a student struggling with coursework. Work Study may allow an eligible student enrolled in school or professional training to earn additional money through a part-time job related to VA. A student can also ask about the Yellow Ribbon Program when tuition exceeds the applicable Post-9/11 GI Bill maximum.

The rural relocation payment is a one-time $500 payment for an eligible student who must move from a highly rural area to attend school. VA says the home county must have no more than 6 people per square mile according to the most recent U.S. census, and the student must either relocate at least 500 miles or travel by air because ground transportation is not an option. This is a narrow benefit, so it should not be counted in a general education budget.

Tests and certifications

The current rates page says VA may reimburse qualifying licensing and certification test fees up to $2,000. It also covers qualifying preparation courses under the applicable entitlement calculation. National test fees have no stated dollar limit on that page, but reimbursement still follows VA eligibility and entitlement rules. Keep receipts and follow VA instructions before assuming that a test or preparation course will be reimbursed.

How to apply

The VA application page directs first-time Fry Scholarship applicants to VA Form 22-5490, the Dependents’ Application for VA Education Benefits. The same form is used for Chapter 35 DEA and Chapter 33 Fry Scholarship applications. VA also provides an online application route, so an applicant can choose online submission or mail the form.

Step 1: Check the qualifying relationship and service event

Start with the official Fry Scholarship eligibility rules. Confirm that you are the child or surviving spouse, that the service member or Selected Reserve member’s death occurred on or after September 11, 2001, and that one of the listed line-of-duty or service-connected-disability conditions applies. If the facts are complicated, contact VA before choosing a benefit or submitting conflicting applications.

Step 2: Gather the information VA requests

The current application guidance says to have knowledge of the chosen service member’s military service history, your current address and contact information, and your bank-account direct-deposit information. You may also need information that supports the family relationship or the service event. Keep relevant records available, but do not send extra sensitive documents unless the form or VA asks for them.

Step 3: Apply online or by mail

For an online application, use the VA application page and follow the prompts. For a mailed application, complete VA Form 22-5490. If you have already chosen a school or training program, mail the completed form to the regional processing office for the state where that school or program is located. If you have not chosen a school yet, VA instructs applicants to mail the form to the regional processing office for the state where they live.

The VA form page identifies Form 22-5490 as the form for a spouse or dependent applying for Chapter 33 Fry Scholarship or Chapter 35 DEA benefits. The form page currently lists a January 2025 revision date. Use the current VA-hosted form rather than an old copy saved elsewhere.

Step 4: Tell the school certifying official

After applying, tell the certifying official at the school or training program that you applied for VA education benefits. Ask that official to submit your enrollment information online. This step is required whether the application was filed online or by mail. If you have not selected a school yet, complete the application first and contact the certifying official after choosing an approved program.

Step 5: Review the VA decision

The application page says the online process may produce an automatic decision. If approved, you may be able to download a Certificate of Eligibility or award letter right away. If the application is denied, you can download the denial letter. When VA cannot decide immediately, the page says a decision letter should arrive by mail in about 30 days and VA will contact you if more information is needed.

Give the Certificate of Eligibility or award information to the school’s certifying official and ask what else the school needs before the enrollment certification is submitted. The school can also confirm whether the specific degree, certificate, apprenticeship, or training program has VA approval.

Planning around an ongoing deadline

There is no annual Fry Scholarship contest date to wait for and no new cycle date to invent. “Ongoing” means that an eligible person can begin the application when education or training is planned, subject to VA processing and school-certification requirements. It does not mean that tuition is automatically covered at any school or that an application can be ignored until after a term begins.

Apply with enough time for VA and the school to review the enrollment. If the online application does not return an immediate decision, the VA application guidance describes a mailed decision in about 30 days. Keep the school certifying official informed, especially if the start date, program, or enrollment level changes. Ask the official how the school handles certification and whether the program is approved before paying a nonrefundable deposit.

Use the VA GI Bill Comparison Tool to compare approved programs, tuition, and school information. For private institutions, check Yellow Ribbon participation separately. For online programs, compare the online housing rule with any in-person option. For apprenticeships, flight training, correspondence courses, licensing tests, or rural relocation, check the special payment rules before including those amounts in a budget.

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating the benefit like a one-time scholarship contest. The program is ongoing, so the important dates are the applicant’s education plans, VA processing, and the school’s enrollment certification—not an invented yearly deadline.

Using an old rate. The maximum private-school payment, online housing maximum, and other amounts change with the VA rate tables. The figures in this page’s benefit section are tied to the rates effective August 1, 2025, to July 31, 2026. Check the live rates page before committing to a school.

Assuming every program at an approved school qualifies. VA says the specific program must be approved. Ask the certifying official to confirm the program, not just the institution’s name.

Failing to tell the certifying official. Filing VA Form 22-5490 is not the final enrollment step. The school must submit enrollment information online after the application.

Confusing eligibility with the maximum payment. Up to 36 months is the maximum entitlement, while tuition, housing, books, and added payments each have separate conditions. A student may qualify for the scholarship but not for every listed payment.

Ignoring the DIC and DEA rules. A child receiving DIC must give up those payments when starting the Fry Scholarship. A surviving spouse may keep DIC while using Fry benefits. Children eligible for both Fry and DEA must follow the one-program-at-a-time and combined-months rules described by VA.

Questions applicants commonly ask

Can the benefit be used for training instead of a four-year college? Yes, the VA pages describe approved non-college degree programs, flight training, correspondence training, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and other approved education or training paths. Approval and payment limits differ by program type.

Does the Fry Scholarship automatically pay private-school tuition in full? No. VA pays the applicable net tuition and mandatory fees up to the current maximum. Yellow Ribbon may add support when the school participates and the requirements are met.

Can an applicant receive housing while studying online? An eligible online-only student may receive the online MHA calculation, subject to the more-than-half-time rate-of-pursuit rule and the applicable maximum. Taking at least one class in person may affect which housing calculation applies.

Can a student use Fry benefits and DEA at the same time? No. VA says only one program can be used at a time. Some children may qualify for both, and the combined-month cap depends on the qualifying death and DEA event.

What should someone do if the family records are incomplete? Submit the application with the information available and respond promptly if VA asks for more information. The school certifying official, VA, or an accredited Veterans Service Organization can help identify the next document or eligibility question. Do not guess about a service event that affects eligibility.

Official application links

• VA Fry Scholarship overview
• Apply for DEA or Fry Scholarship with VA Form 22-5490
• VA Form 22-5490
• Current Fry Scholarship rates

The VA Fry Scholarship page was last updated May 12, 2026, and the rates page was last updated April 24, 2026. Because the benefit and its payment tables can change, use those official pages and the school’s certifying official for the final eligibility and payment decision.