Gold Star Education Act Phases Out DEA Benefit by 2029, Mandates Switch to Post-9/11 GI Bill

This legislation, titled the Gold Star Family Education Parity Act, makes a major structural change to how educational benefits are provided to the survivors and dependents of service members. The core action here is the termination of the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program (DEA, or Chapter 35) authority, effective August 1, 2029. After that date, the government can no longer authorize new benefits under the DEA program.

For those currently relying on DEA or planning to use it, the bill doesn't leave them hanging. It mandates an automatic transition: anyone who loses eligibility for DEA because of the 2029 cutoff will be switched over to the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) benefits, as if they had chosen that option all along (SEC. 2).

The End of Chapter 35: One Program Left Standing

Think of this as simplifying the menu at the VA education benefits counter. Right now, eligible dependents often have a choice between DEA (a fixed monthly stipend for education) and the Post-9/11 GI Bill (which generally pays tuition directly to the school plus housing and book stipends). This bill eliminates the DEA option for new users after 2029, streamlining everything into the Post-9/11 structure.

For current beneficiaries, this mandatory transition is a safety net. If, say, a dependent child is halfway through college in 2029 and their DEA eligibility runs out due to the law changing, they immediately start receiving Post-9/11 benefits. Crucially, the bill waives certain rules that might normally restrict their eligibility for the Post-9/11 program, ensuring the benefit continues without interruption. This is a clear win for continuity.

The Catch: Post-9/11 Spending Limits

While the switch ensures benefits continue, it’s not a perfect one-for-one trade. The bill explicitly states that those transitioned must adhere to the spending limits associated with the Post-9/11 benefit (section 3327(d)(2)). This is where the fine print matters. The DEA program and the Post-9/11 program have different structures, and for some users, the DEA’s structure might have been more advantageous, particularly if they were using it for non-traditional education or if their specific education costs were managed better by the stipend structure.

By forcing everyone into the Post-9/11 framework, beneficiaries gain the advantage of tuition payments and housing allowances, but they lose the flexibility of the DEA stipend and must abide by the Post-9/11's overall spending cap. This means future Gold Star families lose a choice, and current users need to understand that the rules governing their benefits—specifically the total amount they can receive—will change when the transition happens.