VA Educational Benefits

Fry Scholarships

This is a scholarship for children and spouses of certain veterans. If your parent or spouse died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001, while serving in one of the Armed Forces, or was a member of the Selected Reserve who died from a service-connected disability, you may qualify for this benefit.

Eligibility

You may be eligible for Fry Scholarship benefits if you're the child or surviving spouse of:

  • A member of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty while serving on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, or
  • A member of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty while not on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, or
  • A member of the Selected Reserve who died from a service-connected disability on or after September 11, 2001

As the child of a service member

  • You may be married or unmarried.
  • If you turned 18 or graduated from high school before January 1, 2013, you can get a Fry Scholarship until you’re 33 years old.
  • If you turn 18 or graduate from high school after January 1, 2013, you can get a Fry Scholarship at any age over 18 or after you graduate (whichever comes first).
  • If your parent was a member of the Selected Reserve and died from a service-connected disability while not on active duty, you can get a Fry Scholarship at any time, no matter how old you are.
  • If your parent 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 benefits at 81 months of full-time training.
  • 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.

As the spouse of a service member

  • If you remarry, you’ll no longer be eligible for the Fry Scholarship.
  • You can still get Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments while using the Fry Scholarship.

How to Apply

  • Veterans who wish to use their VA educational benefits for the first time should apply online at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/ and complete a Form 22-5490 - Application for Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance, to receive a Certificate/Letter of Eligibility.
  • If educational benefits have previously been used, complete a Form 22-1995 - Change of Program or Place of Training, online at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/ to receive a Certificate of Eligibility.
  • Submit the following items to the Rice University Office of the Registrar:

Students enrolled or interested in enrolling in a degree program offered through the Jones Graduate School of Business, please visit https://business.rice.edu/military/benefits for important steps on applying to use your VA education benefit.

For more information, please visit the Fry Scholarships page on the VA website.