Bridging Time and Cultures

BY LAUREN KOLOGE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, VETERANS BENEFITS

Q: My dad was in the Army and served in Vietnam. I am attending college and need a little assistance. I wanted to see if I am eligible for any of his benefits or for a scholarship that would be effective this coming term.

A:There are federal benefits available to children of veterans, as well as private scholarships. Dependents Educational Assistance, or Chapter 35 education benefits, are federal VA benefits available to children of veterans who are receiving 100 percent service-connected disability, or whose veteran father or mother died of a service-connected disability or while on active duty. Click here for more information.

Some states also provide educational assistance to veterans and family members of veterans. You should check your state department of veterans affairs to see what your state offers: www.va.gov/statedva.htm

Unfortunately, unused GI bill benefits cannot be transferred unless a veteran was on active duty after 9/11/2001. Although VVA’s national organization does not offer scholarships for college tuition, local chapters often do. To find a chapter near you, go to www.vva.org/chapters.html Also, the Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America provides a few scholarships.

Other veterans groups offer scholarships. For a listing of many scholarships by the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs: https://mymilitaryeducation.org and click on “answers.”

The National Resource Directory is also a good place to find information about all resources for veterans and their families. It is sponsored by the VA, DOL, and DOD.

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to look at scholarships offered through activities you participate in, your workplace, your university, and your major area of study. Also, trade organizations in your area of study may have scholarships. Have you spoken with a good financial aid counselor at your college or colleges you are looking into attending? You should never have to pay a fee to apply for a scholarship, so be wary of organizations that ask you to pay.

Q: My father was in the Vietnam War and received a few medals. Over time, these medals were lost. With the holidays approaching, I was wondering if there was a way to get replacement medals. This would mean so much to my father and my family.

A: To obtain your father’s military medals issued by the U.S. armed forces, you need to fill out a form (an SF 180) and send it to the appropriate branch of service (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard). You should be able to receive one set of replacement medals at no cost. Here is a guide from the National Archives on how to request replacement medals.

If you would like more detailed information, let us know where you live, and we will provide a referral to a veterans service officer who can help you at no cost. Or you can search our list of service officers.

Benefits Deputy Director Lauren Kologe can be reached at lkologe@vva.org