For a child between the ages of 18 and 23 who is attending school, VA compensation rules allow a veteran rated at least 30 percent disabled to receive additional monthly compensation for that dependent, but only if the child is not also receiving Chapter 35 Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits for the same period. Chapter 35 DEA is a separate education benefit paid to the dependent of a veteran who is rated permanently and totally disabled (or who died in service or from a service-connected condition), and it is meant to help cover school costs directly for that dependent.
Under 38 CFR 3.667, when a child between 18 and 23 is pursuing a course of education, the veteran and the dependent must make an election between continuing to have that child counted for the additional compensation (dependent) rate or having the child use Chapter 35 DEA benefits. You cannot receive both for the same child covering the same enrollment period. If the dependent begins drawing Chapter 35 benefits, VA will typically remove that child from the veteran's dependent compensation rate for the overlapping time period, and the veteran's monthly compensation amount will adjust accordingly. If the child stops using Chapter 35 or is not currently enrolled, the veteran may be able to re-elect to receive the dependent rate for that child instead.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →It's possible for a household to receive both types of payments in different months if enrollment and elections change over the school year, or if there are multiple dependents where one is on Chapter 35 and another is being claimed for the dependent rate. That can create the appearance of receiving "both," even though for any single dependent during any single period, only one benefit applies.
Because elections and effective dates are handled dependent-by-dependent and can get confusing, especially with partial semesters or benefit switches mid-year, the details of who is receiving what and when are specific to each family's paperwork on file with VA.
If you want to know how this applies to your own dependents, the concrete next step is to log into eBenefits or contact the VA Regional Office handling your dependents' records and ask them to confirm the current election status and effective dates for each child's benefit, since only your file will show which option is actually in effect.
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