Delaware Educational Benefits for Children of

This benefit program is run by the Delaware Higher Education Office, the state agency that administers Delaware's student financial aid. The award follows a priority ladder set out in the program's rules: tuition and required fees are covered first at a Delaware public college, then at an in-state private college if the program of study is not offered publicly, and only then at an out-of-state institution, with the benefit capped at four years. It is one of nine state-sponsored scholarships the Delaware Higher Education Office administers. Delaware covers tuition and fees for children of service members and public servants who died in the line of duty, were taken prisoner of war, or were declared missing in action. The programme reaches further than most veteran benefits because it is not limited to the armed forces: children of state police officers who died from service-related causes, and of certain state Department of Transportation employees, qualify on the same terms. Eligibility is bounded tightly by age and residency, covering applicants between 16 and 24 who have lived in Delaware for three or more consecutive years before applying, with the parent required to have been a Delaware resident at the time of death or of the missing-in-action or prisoner-of-war declaration.

Other deadlines near this one

How hard is the Delaware Educational Benefits for Children of Deceased Veterans and Others to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award.

Odds: not published by the provider
Paperwork: ~2 hrs to file

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

Fewer rivalsOpen only to Delaware residents
Fewer rivalsRequires a military or national-service connection

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Delaware Educational Benefits for Children of Deceased Veterans and Others?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

Must be a resident of Delaware
Open to high school seniors, current college students, and transfer students
For students who lost a parent in military service
Ages 16 to 24

Confirm these before applying

Applicant must be between the ages of 16 and 24
Applicant must have been a Delaware resident for three or more consecutive years before the date of application
If the parent was a member of the armed forces, the parent must have been a Delaware resident at the time of death, or of the declaration of missing in action or prisoner of war status
Qualifying parent categories: a member of the armed forces whose cause of death was service-related; held or being held as a prisoner of war; officially declared missing in action; a state police officer whose cause of death was service-related; or a state employee of the Department of Transportation

Good to know

Must file a FAFSA by the deadline
All application materials must be submitted by 4:30pm on the deadline date

What the application takes

No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is May 15, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around May 15 each year. Applications open December 1. The age ceiling of 24 is the binding constraint for older applicants, and it is checked at application, so do not defer a year unnecessarily.

Application opens: December 1, 2026
Application and FAFSA deadline: May 15, 2027

Remind me before May 15 Apply on the official site

Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee. We use your student's information only to build their plan.

Common questions about the Delaware Educational Benefits for Children of Deceased Veterans and Others

How much is the Delaware Educational Benefits for Children of Deceased Veterans and Others worth?

The Delaware Educational Benefits for Children of Deceased Veterans and Others awards tuition and fees and is renewable in later years.

When is the Delaware Educational Benefits for Children of Deceased Veterans and Others deadline?

The current deadline is May 15, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around May 15 each year. Applications open December 1. The age ceiling of 24 is the binding constraint for older applicants, and it is checked at application, so do not defer a year unnecessarily.

When do Delaware Educational Benefits for Children of Deceased Veterans and Others applications open?

Applications open December 1, and close May 15, 2027. The age ceiling of 24 is the binding constraint for older applicants, and it is checked at application, so do not defer a year unnecessarily.

Who is eligible for the Delaware Educational Benefits for Children of Deceased Veterans and Others?

Key requirements: Must be a resident of Delaware; Open to high school seniors, current college students, and transfer students; For students who lost a parent in military service; Ages 16 to 24.

Does the Delaware Educational Benefits for Children of Deceased Veterans and Others require an essay?

No essay is required. The application is light on requirements. Expect to spend about 2 hours on it.

How hard is it to win the Delaware Educational Benefits for Children of Deceased Veterans and Others?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award. What is known: open only to Delaware residents and requires a military or national-service connection. Plan on about 2 hrs of work.

Is the Delaware Educational Benefits for Children of Deceased Veterans and Others free to apply?

Yes. The Delaware Educational Benefits for Children of Deceased Veterans and Others is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.

Delaware Educational Benefits for Children of Deceased Veterans and Others