Understanding the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP)

The Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP) is a Virginia state program designed to provide educational opportunities for spouses and children of military service members and veterans who have made significant sacrifices. This program offers crucial support to families of those who were killed in action, are missing in action, were taken prisoner, or are at least 90% disabled as a result of their military service. The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) manages the program in collaboration with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and Virginia’s public colleges and universities. Together, they help spouses and children of qualified military service members and veterans achieve their educational goals.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for VMSDEP, applicants must meet specific criteria:

Relationship: Applicants must be the children (ages 16 to 29) or the spouse of a qualified military service member.
Home of Record: Virginia must have been the service member's home of record for at least five years before the application is made.
Qualifying Circumstances: The military service member or veteran must fall into one of the following categories:
- Killed in action
- Missing in action
- Taken prisoner
- Considered 90% disabled as a result of military service by the Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) or have been rated by the USDVA as totally and permanently disabled or at least 90 percent permanently disabled as a direct result of involvement in covered military combat.

Military service includes service in the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces Reserves, the Virginia National Guard, or the Virginia National Guard Reserves. Armed conflict includes military operations against terrorism or as the result of a terrorist act, a peace-keeping mission, or any armed conflict after December 6, 1941.

Required Documentation

Applicants need to provide several supporting documents to verify their eligibility. These documents include:

Proof of Military Service: DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) or DD Form 1300 (Report of Casualty), which will come from the service branch.
Proof of Residency: Tax records, utility bills, or mortgage statements, for example. The veteran or surviving spouse may be asked to provide documentation verifying residency.
Proof of Disability: Service medical records or military disability board decisions, for example.
Proof of Dependency: Marriage license, birth certificate, or adoption decree, for example.

Application Process

The application process for VMSDEP is managed exclusively through the Virginia Department of Veteran Services (DVS) online portal.

Read also: Virginia Peninsula Budget Guide

Key Steps

Online Portal: All new and existing VMSDEP clients should have accounts on the new portal. Submit your application online through the Portal (instructions are found here) managed by the Virginia Department of Veteran Services (DVS).
Application Submission: Applications are submitted for each term the student wishes to utilize benefits. It is the student’s responsibility to update their application status for each term. The student submits their VMSDEP application and a Virginia public college or university acceptance letter to DVS.
Notification: Once completed, UVA is notified of eligible students through DVS' portal. This does not require the student to submit additional information to UVA, we access updated rosters online through VA DVS’ portal. SFS will update your student account accordingly based on eligibility. Stipend eligibility is also managed through this portal.
Deadlines: Please note the dates by which the portal opens for each term:
- Fall: Opens July 1, Closes October 31
- Spring (Winter credits hours are combined with Spring): Opens November 1, Closes March 31
- Summer: Opens April 1, Closes June 30

Tuition and Fees Benefits (Tier 1 & Tier 2)

Eligible students, as confirmed by DVS, are guaranteed a waiver of all tuition and mandatory fees for eight semesters at a Virginia public college or university and Eastern Virginia Medical School.

Please note: Tuition and mandatory fees are waived. Mandatory fees include the comprehensive fee, school fee, and university fee. Items not included with mandatory tuition and fees are costs related to housing, dining plans, Flex Dollars, medical clinic fees, study abroad program expenses (such as deposits, housing, airfare and other study abroad specific fees), late fees, finance charges, and Corps of Cadets activity and Tailor Shop fees (for Corps of Cadets students). Housing, dining, books, and supplies are considered educational expenses and are not waived under this program.

Stipend Benefits (Tier 2 Only)

Eligible students may receive a stipend to offset educational expenses such as housing, dining, books, and supplies. SCHEV works with DVS and the public colleges and universities in disbursing funds.

Because there may not be sufficient funding to make full VMSDEP stipends to all eligible students, a priority funding system is used by SCHEV to determine the order and amount of stipends. Only students appearing on the verification rosters released by SCHEV to the institutions will be funded for the terms specified as authorized, regardless of certification/verification from any other source. SCHEV provides a roster of eligible students who have identified their intention to attend UMW to the Office of Financial Aid who in turn certifies that the students are attending and are eligible to receive the stipend payment.

Interaction with Financial Aid

As a state veterans benefit, VMSDEP will be included as a financial resource in your financial aid offer package and may reduce state grants, University grants, federal loans and work study, and private loans. Each financial aid offer type is different, so the benefit may affect each person’s offer differently.

UVA does not apply waivers retroactively. Eligible waivers are applied to current and/or future terms as determined by DVS.

Additional Educational Assistance Programs

Survivors and dependents may also be eligible for other educational assistance programs, such as the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) Program (Chapter 35) or the Fry Scholarship.

Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) Program (Chapter 35)

The Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) Program (Chapter 35) offers education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of veterans. You may be eligible for more than one of these (federal) programs. In most situations, you will be required to make an irrevocable election between the DEA program and Fry Scholarship when you apply. Additionally, if you are a Virginia resident, please review your eligibility for the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependent Education Program (VMSDEP) prior to making your decision. Chapter 35 payments are made directly to the student and based on level of enrollment (i.e. full-time vs. part-time). View current payment rates. View Virginia Tech enrollment status by credit hours. Since this program provides a monthly amount paid to the student directly, students will be required to pay all tuition, fees, housing, and meals charges (if living on campus) by the bill due date. If charges are not paid by the bill due date, the student will be subject to late fees and holds. To utilize the Chapter 35 Dependent Education Assistance (DEA) Program, the student must apply for the benefit. Go to va.gov, select "Apply for Education Benefits" then answer the questions under "Find your Education Benefits Form". You will be routed to form 22-5490. Complete this form and submit. The VA will process your request in about 30-45 days.

Fry Scholarship

The Fry scholarship provides: in-state tuition and fee costs, monthly housing allowances (BAH), and a books and supplies stipend.

If your parent was a service member who died in the line of duty before August 1, 2011, you may qualify for both the DEA program and the Fry Scholarship. But you can use only 1 benefit at a time. In this case, we cap combined DEA and Fry Scholarship benefits at 81 months of full-time training. If your parent was a service member who died in the line of duty on or after August 1, 2011, you may use both DEA and the Fry Scholarship only if you qualify for DEA under a different event. You can use only 1 program at a time.

Additional Considerations for DEA

Eligibility as a Child: As an eligible child, is there a time limit for me to use these benefits? It depends. There’s no time limit if 1 of these is true: You became eligible for DEA benefits on or after August 1, 2023, or You turned 18 years old on or after August 1, 2023, or You completed high school or received your GED on or after August 1, 2023. Generally, you have up to 8 years to use your benefits before you turn 26 years old, if all of these are true: You became eligible for DEA before August 1, 2023, and You turned 18 before August 1, 2023, and You completed high school before August 1, 2023. In some cases, the 8-year time limit doesn’t end when you turn 26 years old. If any of these describe your situation, you may still be able to use DEA benefits after you turn 26 years old: You became eligible for DEA when you were between 18 and 26 years old, or Your parent died when you were between 18 and 26 years old, or You joined the military. If you join the military, you can’t use this benefit while you’re on active duty.
Eligibility as a Spouse: If you get divorced, you’ll no longer be eligible for DEA benefits. If you join the military, you can’t use this benefit while you’re on active duty. And if you want to use this benefit after you leave the service, you can’t have a dishonorable discharge. If the Veteran dies and you remarry, you’ll no longer be eligible for the DEA benefits that you qualified for through that eligible Veteran. There are 2 exceptions listed here. You can get both DEA and VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments.

Utilizing Benefits at Virginia Tech

Most new first-year and transfer students will register for classes during summer orientation. Be sure to register only for classes that are required for your degree. The "VA Enrollment Certification Form" is an online form found on the student's Hokie Spa. After registering for classes, complete and submit this form to use VA benefits. This form must be completed every semester a student wants to utilize benefits, and must be redone within 7 days of every change of enrollment, i.e., add, drop, or withdrawal during the semester. Benefits will not be certified if this form is not completed.

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