DEA benefits question

[jfrei]

I know this is used for my children if and when they go to college they are 1 and 3 I was awarded DEA benefits Nov 2016. Would my 10 year clock begin for them if they are still minors or does this only apply to my wife since she is an adult?was reading a post for a few of you guys and panicked. Sucks my wife just graduated with her masters March 2017 and I was awarded benefits November 2016 would it be hard to possibly recoup 5 months of DEA and help towards here debt is better then none?

Edited March 29, 2018 by jfrei

[Berta]

I was able to recoup DEA benefits.

It was a different situation than yours however.

"Would my 10 year clock begin for them if they are still minors or does this only apply to my wife since she is an adult?" That 10 year date applies only to your wife.

If she was paying tuition to a VA approved College within the time frame of the DEA EED ( The EED they gave you for P & T) she might be able to recoup that expense. might----maybe I can find something that shows what I mean...

My daughter was 10 years old when she was approved for DEA. She had until age 26 to use it but served in the military for 7 years so they added the 7 years to her DEA Certificate of Entitlement. 

Military service and possibly a few other situations can extend the age 26 limit but your children should certainly be eligible when they are college bound and not close to the age limit.

 

[Berta]

I couldn't find anything definitive at the BVA---on this issue.

If I were your spouse I would send a letter to the VA Educational department in the locale she is in , in this DEA pamphlet:

https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/docs/pamphlets/ch35_pamphlet_2.pdf

She should include a copy of your P & T award letter with the EED and tell them she has paid for her  college education herself, but her college is VA Approved (check this out first at the college's web site-(most but not all colleges are VA approved) and she is enclosing receipts of her tuition payments  that were within the P & T EED the VA gave you  and she should ask for a refund due to her Chapter 35 eligibility per the award letter.

But this might be even better......to do first----- she could see if her college has a VA counselor who might be familiar with Chapter 35 as well as a Financial aid counselor who might be willing to give her an audit from the college on her tuition payments...that she could enclose with the DEA letter.

I copied off my tuition payments from my student account on line when I requested a Chap 35 refund.But I recall the VA needed something directly from the college I attended and it was not hard to get that done-

It was close to 6 or 8 thousand -forget how much.

This might help others-----

My entitlement date under my deceased husband's 100% P & T rating ran out. I paid the tuition myself until I graduated from AMU.

I received 1151 DIC then-no ancillary benefits under 1151 DIC but I had re opened my claim for a direct service connected death.

When VA award the direct SC death ( AO DMII contributing to death) they had to give me a new entitlement date  to Chap 35, and then I asked them for a refund, which they paid upon receipt of the new award letter and AMU audit of that part of my tuition, that Chap 35 didnt cover, under the old entitlement award.

VA does not pay the tuition to the college -we DEAers pay it first, then VA sends it to us.

At least that is the way it was when I attended AMU.

I was their first civilian graduate and their first Chapter 35er but by now I am sure that has changed (this is a Military University)

If a college is VA approved- they always have a veterans counselor who was a big help to me to because she would advise the VA Edu Dept of every time I paid my tuition and emailed her to let her know -as she had access to my student account.

Tuition only is paid to the dependent. I got a Book grant from the Marine Corps and a subscription to Leatherneck and the Marine Corps Gazette.

Good thing- some of my homework was based on Gazette articles.

But most colleges have used book store texts that go with the courses.

That too can be a saving.

 

 

 

Edited March 29, 2018 by Berta
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