11 Military Education Benefits for Service Members

6. Fry Scholarship — Children and spouses of those who died in the line of duty

The Fry Scholarship provides education benefits to children and surviving spouses of service members who died in the line of duty after September 10, 2001. It is intended to ease education costs for families who lost a service member and can cover tuition, fees, housing allowance based on enrollment status, and book stipends, similar in many respects to the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Eligibility rules and documentation requirements differ from other dependent programs, so applicants should check the VA’s Fry Scholarship page for exact proof needed. If you might qualify, apply through VA.gov and include required death certificates and relationship verification to speed processing. The Fry Scholarship can be combined with other limited benefits in some cases, but the VA determines specific entitlement rules, so review overlapping eligibility carefully. Your school’s certifying official or a VA representative can explain how benefits apply to semester charges and living expense calculations.