Educational Benifits for Wife and Children ARE THERE ANY ??????

[bref]

ARE THERE ANY EDUCATIONAL BENIFITS FOR FAMILY,SINCE I AM ALIVE,ALL I CAN FIND ARE EDUC.BENNIES FOR SURVIVORS?? I HAVE THREE IN COLLEGE NOW ONE BEING MY SPOUSE,ANY LINKS PLEASE HELP,IT COST ALOT AM I AM HAVING A HARD TIME PAYING FOR ALL THE BOOKS AND TUITION.

[rainvet]

What VA Offers

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers a wide range of benefits and services for the surviving spouse, dependent children and dependent parents of deceased veterans and military servicemembers.

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) -- DIC is a tax-free benefit for the surviving spouse and dependent children. A spouse's Survivor Benefits Plan (SBP) annuity is reduced by any DIC amount received.
Note: A surviving spouse who remarries on or after December 16, 2003, and on or after attaining age 57, is entitled to continue to receive DIC.

VA also adds a transitional benefit of $250 to the surviving spouse's monthly DIC if there are children under age 18. The amount is based on a family unit, not individual children. It is paid for two years from the date that entitlement to DIC commences, but is discontinued earlier when there is no child under age 18 or no child on the surviving spouse's DIC for any reason.

learn more at : http://www.vba.va.gov/survivors/VAbenefits.htm RainVet

[TinCanMan]

bref:

The spouse and children of 100% P&T veterans are eligible for Chapter 35 Educational Benefits.

Go here: http://www.gibill.va.gov/pamphlets/C...et_General.htm

[bref]

ANY SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DEPENDENTS..??

[TinCanMan]

Scholarships are pretty much a private thing. If you have Chapt 35 benefits, it pays for all tuition/materials and provides some living expense. I don't know the VA does scholarships at all but the DAV does and so does the Navy Relief Society and other professional organizations and individuals. Each educational institution should have an office specifically to help with Scholarships/Financial Aid and grants. The Pell grant is just one of many.

Try CollegeBoard.com for a search tool for scholarships. Next, do a Google Search on the web. Try this: Google Search I came up with over a hundred hits.

[rainvet]

If you have Chapt 35 benefits, it pays for all tuition/materials and provides some living expense.

My daughter have Chapter 35 and is going to College on it through the VA-Champ VA and all the Govt give her is a check each month for a a regular pay and it up to here to pay for everything and anything beyond that is out of here pocket. RainVet

[Berta]

Originally Posted by bref

ARE THERE ANY EDUCATIONAL BENIFITS FOR FAMILY,SINCE I AM ALIVE,ALL I CAN FIND ARE EDUC.BENNIES FOR SURVIVORS?? I HAVE THREE IN COLLEGE NOW ONE BEING MY SPOUSE,ANY LINKS PLEASE HELP,IT COST ALOT AM I AM HAVING A HARD TIME PAYING FOR ALL THE BOOKS AND TUITION.

A veterans with 100% P & T rating gives the spouse and dependents
eligibility to Chap 35.


That is the criteria for this bennie-

I am widow of 100% P & T vet- I go to school under Chap 35-
I pay the tuition and the VA re-imburses me-sameo for spouses and dependents of living vets-pay the tuition first then VA sends the amount back.
The Chapter 35 award comes within the 100% P & T award letter.

Books- I get a book grant from the Msrine Corps Assoc. There are other ways to sometimes get book grants. This can be an enormous expense along with tuition.

Other dependents like my daughter- 7 years military service -maintain their eligibility up to age 26 (this is a crucial cut off date for Chap 35 dependents)
and the VA adds to their limiting dates - the years that reflect length of their service.

She has GI bill too and a vet in this catergory has to weigh the two educational benefits carefully and pick one of them.

Many states also have programs to help tuition of disabled vets and their dependents.

Also I believe that Chap 35 can be used in conjunction with Pell Grants-not sure though.

The entire financial aid package and Pell Grant Info for your state as to disabled veterans as well as their dependents can be found on the web and
hopefully could help you and your family.


Chap 35 is completely different from Voc Rehab-
no stipend-tuition only-
if a spouse or adult child is eligible for Chapter 35 they should f make sure the school is VA approved and fill out and send the entire Chap 35 application and award letter that states they are eligible to the VARO many months before they begin college. This was it gives time for them also to access the college VA counselor and set up their payment schedule and the liason with the VA educational dept.
I did all that by email-with AMU and the VA. That made it easy.Then again-
VA divides the tuition by the length of the course-

In accelerated courses I took- 2 months long- 2 VA payments-
others took much longer and I got the refund broken down into 3-4 separate VA Chap 35 checks.

It is to a veteran's benefit and to their dependents to attempt to get a TDIU or 100% P & T award- by medical evidence-
the P & T Permanent and Total basis of a vets disability is what gives the family Chap 35 but also- in most cases, CHAMPVA too.