Marine Gunnery Sgt. John David Fry Scholarship
This scholarship provides GI Bill benefits to surviving spouses and children of service members who died in the line of duty after September 10, 2001. The proposed Fry Scholarship Enhancement Act of 2021 would also extend eligibility to spouses and children of service members who died from a service-related disability within 120 days of serving in the armed forces.
The Fry Scholarship provides 100% payment of tuition and fees at in-state rates (directly to the school) for all public colleges and universities. Private institution attendance is possible with the Fry Scholarship, but the benefit has a per-academic-year limit.
Qualifying dependent children become eligible for the Fry Scholarship on their eighteenth birthday. If they qualified before January 1, 2013, the benefit expires when they reach their 33rd birthday. If they qualify on or after that date, there is no expiration date. A child's marital status has no effect on eligibility.
Surviving spouses who qualify before January 1, 2013, have 15 years after the service member's date of death to use the Fry Scholarship; however, they are no longer eligible if they remarry during that period. Those who qualify after have no time limit.
For more information about the Fry Scholarship, click here.
You will need to pick either DEA or the Fry Scholarship. You cannot swap programs.
Exception: If you are the child of a service member who died in the line of duty before August 1, 2011, you can use both DEA and the Fry Scholarship to get up to 81 months of education and training. You will need to use one program at a time.
Benefits included with the Fry Scholarship:
- 36 months of benefits at the 100-percent level
- Full tuition and fees paid directly to the school for all public, in-state students. Tuition and fees are capped at a statutory maximum amount per academic year for those attending private or foreign schools
- A monthly housing allowance
- A stipend for books/supplies
Applying for the Fry Scholarship
To apply for the Fry Scholarship, complete the VA Form 22-5490, the dependents' application for VA Education Benefits. Send your application to the VA Regional Processing Office indicated in the form's instrctions.
