This website is not affiliated with the U.S. government or military.

Can My Son Qualify for Both Post 9/11 G.I. Bill And DEA Benefits?


Q:My children received DEA or Chapter 35 benefits for schooling because their father was deceased while in active duty. Since then my son has become a veteran in his own right. Is he entitled to the remaining DEA through father and Post 9/11 G.I. Bill benefits via his own active duty service? Thanks.

A: Yes he probably is entitled to both benefits. Generally speaking, if you qualify for more than one G.I. Bill program, you can only get a maximum of 48 months of combined education benefit. Under the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance Program (DEA), he probably received up to 45 months. Under the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, he could get up to 36 months.

By going on active duty, your son’s DEA eligibility period was extended by the length of his service plus four months and he has 15 years from his date of discharge to use his Post 9/11 G.I. Bill.

If your son is at the 100% tier level under the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, the VA pays his school directly for his tuition and fees, up to the in-state maximum. Your son would get a housing allowance based on the E-5-with-dependents rate for the school’s zip code and up to $1,000 per year book stipend. If he is at a lesser tier level, then the VA only pays based on the percentage at his tier level. The maximum current rate of pay for DEA benefits is $925 per month and your son has to pay his own tuition.

Finally, one thing to watch is if your son switches to the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill now, he will only get the number of months he has left on his DEA benefit. If he has a considerable number of DEA months left, it might pay more to switch now and use those remaining months getting paid under the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill and not worry about trying to get those extra three months. Keep in mind, once he switches to the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, he won’t have any DEA benefits left to use.


Privacy Policy | About Us | FAQ | Terms of Service | Disclaimers | Do Not Sell My Personal Information (CA and NV residents)

Copyright © 2023 EducationDynamics. All Rights Reserved.

This is a private website that is not affiliated with the U.S. government, U.S. Armed Forces or Department of Veteran Affairs. U.S. government agencies have not reviewed this information. This site is not connected with any government agency. If you would like to find more information about benefits offered by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, please visit the official U.S. government web site for veterans’ benefits at http://www.va.gov.

The sponsored schools featured on this site do not include all schools that accept GI Bill® funding or VA Benefits. To contact ArmyStudyGuide, email us.

Disclosure: EducationDynamics receives compensation for the featured schools on our websites (see “Sponsored Schools” or “Sponsored Listings” or “Sponsored Results”). So what does this mean for you? Compensation may impact where the Sponsored Schools appear on our websites, including whether they appear as a match through our education matching services tool, the order in which they appear in a listing, and/or their ranking. Our websites do not provide, nor are they intended to provide, a comprehensive list of all schools (a) in the United States (b) located in a specific geographic area or (c) that offer a particular program of study. By providing information or agreeing to be contacted by a Sponsored School, you are in no way obligated to apply to or enroll with the school.

This is an offer for educational opportunities that may lead to employment and not an offer for nor a guarantee of employment. Students should consult with a representative from the school they select to learn more about career opportunities in that field. Program outcomes vary according to each institution’s specific program curriculum. Financial aid may be available to those who qualify. The financial aid information on this site is for informational and research purposes only and is not an assurance of financial aid.

VFW $30,000 Scholarship!
Write an essay on the annual patriotic theme. This year’s theme is, “Why Is The Veteran Important?”

X