Fry Scholarship in Texas: Education for Surviving Dependents

The Fry Scholarship is available to surviving spouses and eligible children of service members who died on active duty or from a service-connected disability on or after September 11, 2001. There is no minimum service length requirement—the service member need only have been on active duty status at the time of death or have a death that is deemed service-connected under 38 U.S.C. § 1110.

Surviving spouses are eligible if they have not remarried and are pursuing an approved educational programme. Eligible children must be between ages 18 and 33 at the time of application, though exceptions apply for those pursuing post-secondary education or advanced degrees. Children who are enrolled full-time in an accredited institution may defer their eligibility until after completion of their current programme.

The benefit applies to service members in all branches of the uniformed services, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and National Guard members who died while on federal active duty status. Discharge status does not affect eligibility for survivors—the critical factor is whether the death occurred while on active duty or is deemed service-connected.

No income limits or asset tests apply to the Fry Scholarship. The benefit is available to all qualifying survivors regardless of financial need. Recipients must be enrolled or accepted at an approved school, including colleges, universities, technical schools, flight schools, and institutions offering distance education programmes.

Surviving spouses have different age requirements than children and can pursue benefits at any age if unmarried at the time of application. Multiple children in a family may each claim their own Fry Scholarship entitlement, with each receiving up to 60 months of benefits.

Monthly Fry Scholarship payments for 2024 vary by school type and benefit rate:

Public institution (in-state): $1,159 per month at the 100% rate Public institution (out-of-state): $1,384 per month at the 100% rate Private/foreign institution: $1,384 per month at the 100% rate Apprenticeship/on-the-job training: Up to $667 per month

Benefits are paid monthly for the duration of enrolment, capped at 60 months of full-time study. The 60-month entitlement can be stretched over a longer calendar period if the recipient attends part-time.

Payments cover tuition, fees, and a monthly housing allowance. The housing allowance is included in the monthly rate above and is paid directly to the recipient. Books, supplies, and other educational costs are covered within the monthly payment structure.

The VA adjusts payment rates annually for cost-of-living increases (COLA). The 2024 rates shown above represent a COLA adjustment from 2023. Rates are projected to increase in 2025 based on inflation indices.

Texas does not provide additional state-level grants, scholarships, or supplements specifically for Fry Scholarship recipients beyond the federal benefit administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This is because the Fry Scholarship is a purely federal education benefit programme with nationwide standardised eligibility and payment rates.

However, Texas survivors of service members killed in action or who died from service-connected disabilities may be eligible for separate Texas state education benefits and financial aid programmes that are not tied to Fry Scholarship status. Texas residents attending public colleges and universities within the state may qualify for additional tuition exemptions or reduced rates under separate state law.

The Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) does not administer a parallel state-level Fry Scholarship, but does provide information and assistance to survivors applying for federal benefits. County veterans service offices throughout Texas can help survivors understand their rights and navigate the federal application process.

Survivors who are Texas residents and attending Texas institutions may also be eligible for state financial aid programmes administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. These programmes are separate from Fry Scholarship and have their own application processes. Survivors should contact their school's financial aid office to inquire about state-level tuition benefits, grants, and work-study programmes available to eligible applicants.

No Texas state income tax is imposed on federal education benefits, including Fry Scholarship payments. This means the full monthly benefit amount is received without state tax withholding, maximising the aid available to the survivor.

Fry Scholarship claims are most commonly denied due to ineligible service member status. The primary reason is that the service member did not die on or after September 11, 2001. If a family member died before this date, the survivor is not eligible for Fry Scholarship, although they may qualify for other survivor benefits. The VA carefully verifies the date of death against military records, and applicants must provide certified documentation.

Another frequent denial reason is that the applicant does not meet the age requirement for children. Children must be between ages 18 and 33 at the time of application. Applicants who are over 33 years old and did not defer their eligibility while in school will be denied. However, age deferrals are available for those actively pursuing post-secondary education, allowing them to apply later.

Missing or inadequate documentation is a substantial barrier to approval. The VA requires a certified death certificate showing the cause of death, proof of the service member's active duty status, and verification of the applicant's eligibility. If the applicant submits an uncertified copy of the death certificate or does not provide proof of school enrolment, the application will be returned as incomplete. Applicants must resubmit with corrected documents.

Denials also occur when the applicant's status is not properly verified as a surviving spouse or eligible child. Surviving spouses who have remarried are ineligible. If the applicant remarried and did not disclose this, the claim will be denied once discovered. Similarly, children who are not biological or legally adopted children of the service member may face denial if not properly documented.

Inadequate evidence of the death being service-connected is another denial reason. If the service member died after separation from active duty and the death is claimed as service-connected, the VA must see compelling medical and service records linking the death to military service. Without a clear nexus, the claim will be denied. Survivors should obtain VA disability rating decisions for the service member if available.

To strengthen an initial Fry Scholarship claim, applicants should submit certified copies of all documents, not photocopies. They should include a detailed statement explaining the relationship to the service member and the circumstances of death. Applicants should also ensure school enrolment verification is current and accurate. Working with a county veterans service officer before submission significantly reduces the risk of denial by catching missing information early.

Survivors whose Fry Scholarship applications are denied or receive an unfavourable rating have three appeal options under the modern VA appeals system: Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review (HLR), and Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA). Each lane serves different situations and has specific deadlines.

The Supplemental Claim lane is used when the applicant has new evidence not previously submitted. If the applicant discovers additional documents, medical records, or witness statements that support the claim, a Supplemental Claim can be filed within one year of the original denial. This lane is fastest—typically decided within 30-60 days. The evidence must be genuinely new, not already in the claim file. For Fry Scholarship, this might include newly discovered military records or updated school enrolment documentation.

Higher-Level Review (HLR) is appropriate when no new evidence exists, but the applicant believes the VA made an error in interpreting existing evidence or applying regulations. An HLR is decided by a more senior VA reviewer who will examine the claim without adding new evidence. The deadline for HLR is one year from the date of the original decision. HLR typically takes 30-45 days and is ideal for clarifying eligibility issues or correcting factual errors.

Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) is the formal hearing option before an administrative law judge. The BVA can review complex cases and hear testimony from the applicant. The deadline to appeal to BVA is one year from the original decision. However, the applicant must have exhausted Supplemental or HLR before requesting a BVA hearing, or they can request the BVA directly if neither Supplemental nor HLR is chosen. BVA cases typically take three to six months to decide. An in-person or videoconference hearing can be requested to present evidence directly to the judge.

All appeals are free through VA. Survivors should not pay anyone to represent them in appeals—this is illegal. Instead, survivors can request assistance from an accredited Veterans Service Officer through their county veterans office, a Veteran Service Organisation (VSO), or the VA's Office of the Veterans Ombudsman. These representatives work at no cost to the applicant.

To file an appeal, the applicant must submit VA Form 21-0958 (Notice of Disagreement) or the appropriate appeal form through VA.gov, by mail to the VA regional office that issued the original decision, or through a county veterans service office. The VA.gov website provides step-by-step instructions and allows applicants to track their appeal status in real time. Once an appeal is filed, the deadline to choose which lane (Supplemental, HLR, or BVA) is 60 days from the date the appeal is received.