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Fry Scholarship

If you’re the child or surviving spouse of a service member or member of the Selected Reserve who died on or after September 11, 2001, you may be eligible for the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship). Keep reading to find out if you may be eligible for this VA education benefit.

Am I eligible for Fry Scholarship benefits?

You may be eligible for Fry Scholarship benefits if you’re the child or surviving spouse of a service member or member of the Selected Reserve who died on or after September 11, 2001, and who fits one of the descriptions listed here.

One of these must be true of the service member or member of the Selected Reserve:

  • The service member died in the line of duty while serving on active duty, or
  • The member of the Armed Services died from a service-connected disability within 120 days of being discharged from active duty or released from duty, or
  • The member of the Selected Reserve died in the line of duty other than active duty, or
  • The member of the Selected Reserve died from a service-connected disability

Keep reading on this page for more eligibility information.

Note: If your parent or spouse was a member of the Selected Reserve who died in the line of duty “other than active duty,” this means they were a member of the Reserve serving on active duty for training or inactive duty training. This term doesn’t include Army and Air National Guard members who were on State orders (sometimes called “State Active Duty”).

More eligibility information

If you’re the child

  • You can be married or unmarried.
  • One of these must be true, whichever comes first: You’re at least 18 years old or you graduated from high school (or you have a GED).
  • If you’re receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), you’ll need to give up those payments when you start to use the Fry Scholarship.
    Learn about DIC

Can I use both the Fry Scholarship and DEA benefits?

  • If your parent was a service member who died in the line of duty before August 1, 2011, you may qualify for both the Fry Scholarship and the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program. But you can use only one program at a time. We cap combined DEA and Fry Scholarship benefits at 81 months of full-time training.
    Learn about the DEA program
  • If your parent was a service member who died in the line of duty on or after August 1, 2011, you may use both the Fry Scholarship and DEA only if you qualify for DEA under a different event. You can use only one program at a time. We cap combined DEA and Fry Scholarship benefits at 48 months of full-time training.

Is there a time limit for me to use this benefit?

  • If your parent was a service member who died before January 1, 2013, you’re eligible for the Fry Scholarship until you’re 33 years old. But if you turned 18, graduated from high school, or got your GED after January 1, 2013, there’s no time limit for using this benefit.
  • If your parent was a service member who died on or after January 1, 2013, there’s no time limit for using this benefit.
  • If your parent was a member of the Selected Reserve who died in the line of duty other than active duty or from a service-connected disability, there’s no time limit for using this benefit.

If you’re the surviving spouse

  • If you remarry, you’ll keep your eligibility for the Fry Scholarship if you qualified for this education benefit through your previous marriage. If you had unused Fry Scholarship benefits that expired, we may restore those benefits for you to use anytime after January 2, 2025, even if you’ve remarried. To get your benefits restored, you’ll need to apply again using VA Form 22-5490.
  • If you’re receiving DIC, you can still get those payments while using the Fry Scholarship.
    Learn about DIC

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