Son Is Turning 18 Still In High School

[Testvet]

I have got the letter from CHAMPVA about if he wats to continue coverage then he needs to submit his college information, 2 things

he does not graduate from high school until the end of May because of the school district is Ga he didn't start school until he was 6

will they stop his payment in Feb or wait until June I have explained to him that he has to go thru the VARO to get his Chapter 35 benefits I can't do it he has to

SSD won't stop his check until he graduates in June how does the VA handle cases like this and what do I need to do if they should keep paying the benefits for a child until he graduates or do they terminate at 18 regardless of high school status?

I just don't understand this all new to me....anyone else been thru this yet?

[deltaj]

VA stopped my with dependent pay in Feb. When my daughter turned 18. Since we do not live in the same state, I found out what school she went to and I sent VA the information and they paid me until she graduated. I was just awarded 100% P & T and she had to fill out the chapter 35 application I sent her at her college veterans affairs office.

Pete, Please see 38 CFR 3.667 (a) which states you must file your claim within one year of the child's 18th birthday. I think, however, that you should file it before entitlement ceases (i.e. befothe date the child graduates from high school.) In terms of checks for the minor child(ren) of a veteran after the child's 18th birthday, the benefit doesn't automatically continue. I seem to remember there's some sort of SSD form which has to be completed by the school or parent or both the school and parent to get the child's benefit continued. Call Social Security about this.

Edited November 29, 2009 by deltaj

[deltaj]

Could this be something that is back dated? If a child has already graduated, but child turned 18 five months before graduation.

Please see 38 CFR 3.667 (a) which states that a claim must be received within one year of the child's 18th birthday. The claim form as far as I know is a Request for Approval of School Attendance but discuss this with V.A. I don't recall whether part of this form has to be completed by the school. One caution on the form is that when V.A. states end of term I think they are talking about the end of the school year not the semester but talk to V.A. about this.

[deltaj]

they don't pay benefits while the kids go to college do they? I am asking because because like I said my son graduates from high school and I think wants to move here and go to USC which is about 10 minutes from my home we have a pool house that he can use as a studio apt.

I know he can keep his CHAMPVA coverage as long as he is going to college but I don't know about things like college kids used to be able to keep their base ID cards until they graduate from college or maximum of age 26

|I know he can get Chapter 35 benefits for college but I don;t understand how summer school works if he goes does he keep getting paid or if he takes the summer off they stop the check from June - Sep? College here started at the end of August and ends in May. Does the VA pay their tuition on top of the monthly checks or are the college kids expected to pay for tuition, books and the rest of it from the checks they get monthly?

I know a lot of questions but this is a first for me I know when I went to school on the GI Bill the VA paid the tuition seperately from the checks they sent me every month how do they deal with that on Chapter 35 or do they? It's all greek to me thanks Mike

A veteran cannot receive Additional Compensation for Dependents on a school age child receiving chapter 35 and because of this, sometimes a veteran can get hit with an overpayment if V.A. has accidentally continued payments to the veteran for that school age child. Chapter 35 payments to the student stop when the student is not enrolled in college and V.A. always pays in June for college attendance in May, a month behind. As far as I know CHAMPVA is not continued for summer until after verification of enrollment is received from the college in the subsequent fall but this needs to be discussed with CHAMPVA at 1-800-733-8387. I suggest you have your talk to V.A. education at 1-888-GIBILL1 about how to obtain an advance payment to help cover books and tuitionon chapter 35, which is a benefits for dependents of permanently and totally service connected disabled veterans.

[LarryJ]

Pete, Based on 38 CFR 3.667 (a) it would say that it is possible if a claim is received within one year of a child's 18th birthday.

My son was 25 when I was awarded 100% P&T. He filed for his chap 35 benefits at that time. They gave him a choice as to what date he wanted to be his "effective date", either his enrollment date, or the date that I was awarded 100% P&T (the date that he became eligibile for chap 35), or, the date of the letter informing him of his 45 months eligibility for the chap 35 bennys, or the date that I had FILED for TDIU.

It was confusing. I had to spend several hours with a caculator to determine which would be the best for him.

If he continues to attend classes during the summer, then the VA benefits office at USC will let the VA know and they will continue to pay thru out the summer, as is determined by his class load........is he taking enough to be considered "full"-time, etc.

Edited November 29, 2009 by LarryJ

[Pete53]

Thanks Delta I guess it may have been different in the 90's