Fry Scholarship

What is the Fry Scholarship?

The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Chapter 33) is a scholarship that provides up to 36 months of assistance for children and spouses of certain veterans. Dependents of a veteran may qualify if the veteran died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001 or was a member of the Selected Reserve who died as a result of a service-connected disability.

Some dependents may also be eligible for Dependents Educational Assistance(DEA). If you qualify for both the Fry Scholarship and DEA, you’ll need to make an irrevocable choice between the two programs. You are exempt from this requirement if your parent died in the line of duty before August 1, 2011, meaning you can use both programs (one at a time) for up to 81 months of full-time training. You can compare the two benefits here.

If you are a parent or spouse of an incoming UW-Madison student, we recommend involving the student in the education benefits process early. University Veteran Services is here to help everyone understand education benefits, but all correspondence from our office will go directly to the student once they are enrolled. Students have certain protections on what information can be shared and are most successful when given ownership over the use of their benefits.

Under the Fry Scholarship, you may receive:

- In-state tuition and fees coverage
- Money for housing (if you’re in school for more than half-time)
- Money for books and supplies
- Additional entitlement under the STEM Scholarship

In-State Tuition: Non-resident students who start classes at UW-Madison using the Fry Scholarship will be charged equal to the in-state tuition rate until the completion of their program, even if they exhaust their benefit. However, students who don’t remain continuously enrolled (take a break longer than two semesters) will be assessed the non-resident tuition rate when they return. You can view current tuition rates on the Bursar’s Office website.

UW-Madison benefit rates Learn more about Fry Scholarship

Getting Started

Applying

Apply early! It’s best to give the VA at least 30 days to process your application.

Gather the following information:
- social security number
- bank account direct deposit information
- education and military history
- name of school you want to attend or are attending
Complete the VA’s online application (linked below).
The VA will provide you a certificate of eligibility (COE) if approved. Email your COE to veterans@wisc.edu.

Apply on va.gov

Next Steps

Apply for other education benefits you intend to use.
Contact University Veteran Services. If you start classes in less than 90 days, let us know you intend to use benefits (even if you’re waiting on approval).
Ensure you’ve opted into enrollment verification through the VA.
Complete a FAFSA®. You can learn more about using traditional forms of financial aid on our financial aid & education benefits page.
Confirm your benefits. You’ll complete this process every semester to let us know you’d like to use your GI Bill®.
Read up on receiving federal benefits to learn about course restrictions for GI Bill® users and information related to payments.