Children of the Fallen Patriots Day: 10 sources of financial help for children whose parent died in military service

Children whose parent or guardian dies in war or from a service-related injury lose their coach, counselor, mentor, sounding board, teacher and most trusted friend. They also lose a source of financial support.

Of the 135,718 survivors of deceased military loved ones served in 2021 by the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, which connects military and Veteran families with benefits and services they’ve earned, roughly 29% were children. It is estimated that the 25,000 children of U.S. military personnel who’ve lost a parent on active duty will need a collective $625 million to pay to complete college, according to the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation.

In honor of Children of the Fallen Patriots Day on May 13 — designated on the same day in 1864 that Arlington National Cemetery was established — here are 10 sources of support that can put these children (and a surviving spouse) on firmer financial footing. Most programs serve kids dependent on a parent or guardian who died in service from hostilities or accidents; from a service-related injury or illness; or from another service-related cause such as death by suicide.

Federal programs

Burial assistance and bereavement counseling. Surviving children may be eligible for burial services and/or outreach, counseling and referral services under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) burials and memorials benefits programs. Details: Find out more at https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/pre-need-eligibility and at https://www.va.gov/burials-memorials/bereavement-counseling.

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). Unmarried surviving children under age 18 or under age 23 if they’re attending school may get tax-free monthly payments of about $300 or $600 (depending on the child’s status). Details: https://www.va.gov/disability/dependency-indemnity-compensation and https://www.va.gov/disability/survivor-dic-rates.

Fry scholarships. Named after Marine Gunnery Sgt. John David Fry, this VA scholarship program provides full in-state tuition or more than $22,800 per year for training at private or out-of-state schools (and housing, books and supply benefits) for children and spouses of eligible Veterans who died in service on or after Sept. 11, 2001. Children are eligible if the deceased parent was, on or after Sept. 11, 2001, in the Armed Forces and died in the line of duty while on or not on active duty or was in the Selected Reserve and died from a service-connected disability.

Children of an eligible service member who turned 18 or graduated from high school before Jan. 1, 2013, are eligible until age 33, whether or not they are married, or at any age over 18 if they turn age 18 or graduate high school after Jan. 1., 2013. Children whose parent was in the Selected Reserve and died from a service-connected disability are eligible for the scholarship at any age.

Kids whose parent died before Aug. 1, 2011, may qualify for the Fry scholarship and the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program (see below), as long as one benefit is used at a time. Children who start using Fry scholarships forfeit VA DIC payments. Details: Get program and application information at https://www.va.gov/education/survivor-dependent-benefits/fry-scholarship.

Health care. Children and spouse survivors of Veterans who died from a VA-rated service-connected disability or of military members who died in the line of duty (and others) may qualify for Civilian Health and Medical Program of VA (CHAMPVA), a comprehensive health care benefit. Beneficiaries share in paying for the costs of covered services. Surviving children eligible for CHAMPVA and other VA health care programs, including the Children of Women Vietnam Veterans, Spina Bifida and Camp Lejeune Family Member programs, may also qualify for pharmacy benefits. Details: CHAMPVA, https://nvf.org/champva-civilian-health-and-medical-program; family member and dependent care, https://www.va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/programs/dependents/index.asp; and pharmacy benefits, https://www.va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/programs/dependents/pharmacy/index.asp.

Pension and aid programs. Dependent children of deceased wartime Veterans may also be eligible for monthly pensions, depending on net worth and income requirements. Children of housebound Veterans or those in need of regular care may want to explore if the Veteran qualifies for an enhanced pension. The Veteran would need evidence to show that the aid and attendance of another person is required for the Veteran to perform activities of daily living or can show that the Veteran is housebound. Details: Find income and other qualifying rules at https://www.va.gov/pension/survivors-pension-rates and at https://www.va.gov/pension/aid-attendance-housebound.

Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program. Also called Chapter 35, this program pays to help children and spouses of deceased, captured or missing service members or Veterans who are service-disabled pay for training or schooling. Married or unmarried children of eligible Veterans can get use this benefit between the ages of 18 and 26, as long as they’re not in the military on active duty or weren’t dishonorably discharged. Note if children are over 18 and using this benefit, they forfeit DIC payments. Details: https://www.va.gov/education/survivor-dependent-benefits/dependents-education-assistance.

State programs

Most states offer education and other types of assistance to children of fallen service members or Veterans who died of service-related injuries. Surviving children should start the search for what’s available by visiting the website of their state Veterans affairs agency or office. Most of these office websites have .gov addresses, with a few exceptions (e.g., https://texvet.org, https://floridavets.org). In addition to the support provided by the federal government, states may offer emergency aid, tuition benefits and other types of assistance to children survivors. Details: Learn more about state-based Veterans’ benefits at https://www.rallypoint.com/command-post/get-started-with-veterans-benefits-and-services-at-the-state-level.

Private programs

Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation scholarships. The foundation provides college scholarships and educational counseling to children of military personnel who died in the line of duty, whether from combat, training, illness or suicide. The foundation says a central aim of these funds is to bridge the cost gap that surviving children may find exists after tapping VA and other funding sources. Scholarships may pay for college prep-related fees while kids are in high school, tuition while students are enrolled and post-graduation loans. Since 2002, the foundation has awarded $46 million in scholarships to more than 2,000 children of the fallen. Details: Read more about eligibility and how to enroll at https://www.fallenpatriots.org/faqs-for-families.

Folds of Honor. This organization also provides scholarships for higher education tuition, fees and housing to children and spouses of the fallen. This support is also based on unmet need, which is defined as what’s not covered by other funding sources or financial aid. Details: https://foldsofhonor.org/scholarships/faqs.

Fisher House. Dependent unmarried child survivors under age 23 may qualify for Fisher House’s Heroes Legacy Scholarship program, which honors active duty personnel who died in service or those who became service disabled since Sept. 11, 2001. Details: https://fisherhouse.org/programs/scholarship-programs/heroes-legacy-scholarship.

Learn more

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors: https://www.taps.org.