Educational Benefits for Children of Deceased Veterans and Others
Delaware Higher Education Office (Delaware Department of Education)
Tuition and required fees for Delaware students ages 16-24 whose parent died in military service, is a POW/MIA, or was a state police officer or DelDOT highway worker killed on the job.
- How much
- Tuition & required fees (prorated if attending outside the priority sequence); up to four years
- Who qualifies
- Child of a service member who died of service-related causes, is/was a POW, or is MIA; or of a Delaware State Police officer or DelDOT highway employee who died in the line of duty
- Applicant must be 16 to 24 years old and a Delaware resident for three or more consecutive years before applying.
- For high school seniors, students starting college, undergrads
- When to apply
- Opens later Annual; application window December 1 to May 17 (4:30pm).
- How to apply
- Create a Student Account in the Delaware Higher Education Financial Aid Portal and complete the online application between December 1, 2026 and the deadline (4:30pm)
- DHEO staff will request additional documentation after you submit
- What you'll need
- state application
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (education.delaware.gov)
The details
State benefit (14 Del. C. ch. 34, subch. VI) for children of: a member of the armed forces whose death was service-related, who is or was a prisoner of war, or who is officially missing in action (the parent must have been a Delaware resident at the time of death or declaration); a Delaware State Police officer whose death was service-related; or a Delaware Department of Transportation employee routinely working on the state highway system whose death was job-related. Pays tuition and required fees in this order: a Delaware public college; a Delaware private college if the program isn't offered at a Delaware public college; an out-of-state public or private college if no Delaware institution offers the program. The award is prorated for students who choose a college out of that sequence. Limited to four years.
More money from Delaware
- Charles L. Hebner Memorial Scholarship$1,250/year
- Scholarship Incentive Program (ScIP)$1,000/year (undergraduate and graduate awards)
- B. Bradford Barnes Memorial ScholarshipFull tuition, required fees, room, board, and books at the University of Delaware
- Career-Based ScholarshipAmount announced by July 1, 2027 (varies with funding and applicant pool)
- Delaware State Inspire ScholarshipFull tuition for up to 8 semesters
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- Nearby states: Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
- Federal aid and national scholarships (open to students in any state)
- The FAFSA in plain English (2027-28)
- Should I file the FAFSA if I don't think I'll qualify?
- FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28)
- The FAFSA for parents: what you need to do
- How to save on textbooks: free, rented and cheaper options
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.