An Overview of VA Benefits for Spouses of Veterans

Spouses of military veterans are entitled to a range of important benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Some of these resources are available regardless of whether your veteran spouse is disabled or deceased, but you'll typically need to meet certain relationship status or character of service requirements first. Knowing what benefits you're eligible to receive as the spouse of a veteran can bring some useful stability to your family, especially during the frequently challenging transition between military and civilian life.

What Benefits Can Veterans' Spouses Get from the VA?

Health care, education benefits, and housing assistance are some of the most commonly used VA programs provided for veterans' spouses. If you qualify for one or more of these programs, the VA can help you get medical treatment, pay for vocational training, and buy a home. Below you can find more detailed information on popular benefits that support spouses of military servicemembers.

Spousal Education Benefits

Veterans' family members may be eligible for the following cash assistance or tuition reimbursement programs to complete their education and job training:

• Transferred Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits can let you use up to $28,937.09 (in 2025) of your spouse's education benefits to pay for college or vocational training, depending on how long your spouse was on active duty. You may also be eligible for a monthly housing allowance while you're in school, as well as the cost of books, supplies, and testing.
• Spouses of "permanently and totally disabled" veterans and surviving spouses can qualify for Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA), also known as "Chapter 35." DEA benefits can pay up to $1,536 (in 2025) for each month that you're enrolled in a college, trade school, or apprenticeship program.
• Surviving spouses of qualifying servicemembers may receive up to 36 months of payments for tuition, fees, housing, supplies, and other educational expenses under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship.

In addition to federal VA benefits, most state veterans' affairs departments offer free or reduced fee tuition to spouses of veterans who attend a state or local college.

VA Spouse Medical Benefits

Spouses of veterans who aren't permanently and totally disabled don't have access to health care through the VA, unfortunately. You'll need another source of coverage for medical treatment whether it be employer-provided, through the health care exchange, or from Medicaid. But if your spouse has a 100% disability rating, you may be eligible for the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, or "CHAMPVA." CHAMPVA covers a wide range of treatment, such as hospitalizations, medications, and mental health care.

Help for Spouses of Veterans in Assisted Living or Nursing Homes

The VA runs assisted living facilities and nursing homes for veterans, as well as providing help for in-home care. If you're the caregiver for your disabled spouse, you may get aid through the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC). Spouses who live full-time—or are willing to live full-time—with the disabled veteran can qualify for PCAFC provided that the veteran has at least a 70% disability rating, was discharged from the military, is enrolled in VA health care, and needs at least six months of continuous, in-person care.

Regardless of whether or not your spouse is in an assisted living arrangement or nursing home, if they receive a VA pension and have significant functional limitations or are bedridden, they may receive additional monthly payments in the form of Aid and Attendance or Housebound supplements. (Keep in mind that you can't receive both benefits at the same time.)

VA Home Loans and Housing Assistance

Surviving spouses of veterans may be eligible for a VA-backed home loan at more favorable rates than private lender loans. And if you already have a VA loan but need mortgage assistance, you might qualify for an interest rate reduction refinance loan (IRRRL). You can learn more in our article on help for veterans struggling with mortgage payments.

According to the National Institutes of Health, veterans have a higher rate of housing insecurity than the general population. Spouses and families of veterans at risk of homelessness may benefit from a collaborative program between the VA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that provides rental assistance vouchers for privately owned properties.

For more information about benefits available to veterans' widows and widowers ("surviving spouses") see our article on VA survivors benefits for spouses and family members of deceased veterans. If you've recently lost your spouse, you may find our article on veterans' burial benefits useful. For example, the VA may reimburse the funeral expenses and provide you with bereavement counseling.

Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC)

Veterans who have service-connected disabilities are eligible for monthly disability compensation from the VA. The amount each veteran receives is determined by a combination of their disability rating and whether they have a dependent spouse or children. If your spouse has an illness, injury, or other disorder that was caused or worsened by their time in service and they haven't yet applied for VA disability, you may want to encourage them to do so.

Applying for VA Spousal Benefits

The exact method you'll need to begin your application for VA benefits as the spouse of a veteran will depend on the particular benefit you're applying for. Most of the applications can be completed online at the VA's website which will require you to have a Login.gov or Id.me account.

• To obtain transferred educational benefits under the Post 9/11-G.I.Bill, you'll need to first make sure that the Department of Defense (DOD) has approved your spouse's request to transfer their benefit to you. Once that's done, you can file online using the electronic VA Form 22-1990e. You can also download 22-1990e and mail it to the address on the form.
• You can apply for Chapter 35/DEA education benefits and the Fry Scholarship online using VA Form 22-5490.
• You can start your application for CHAMPVA online using the electronic form VA Form 10-7959c, or you can print out a hard copy and mail it (along with a copy of your health insurance or Medicare card, front and back) to the address on the form.
• In order to apply for PCAFC, you can complete VA Form 10-10CG online by entering the required information into the appropriate boxes.
• To apply for VA home loans, you'll need to obtain a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) that you can use to prove that you qualify for the benefit. To get the CoE, you'll need to download VA Form 26-1817 (if you're already receiving DIC) and give it to your lender for online processing or mail it to the VA regional loan center that serves your area. You can find the mailing address on Form 26-1817.
• If you're the surviving spouse of a veteran who received DIC and you'd like to apply for this benefit, you'll need to file Form 21P-534EZ, which you can do either online, through a Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representative, in person at your regional VA office, or by mailing the form to the Department of Veterans Affairs Pension Intake Center, PO Box 5365, Janesville, WI 53547-5365.

You don't need a lawyer to apply for VA benefits, but in some cases it can be a good idea—for example, if your veteran spouse was denied disability compensation and wants to appeal.

Hiring a VA lawyer probably isn't necessary if you're just submitting an application, but it can be a smart move if you have a more complex case. And because cost is often an issue, several organizations exist that can provide low- or no-cost legal services for veterans and their spouses.