Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant: What Replaced It and Who Gets Maximum Pell Now

What the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant was

Congress created the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant to help the children of service members killed in those wars pay for college. The Department of Education describes it as running from the 2010–11 award year through 2023–24. It was meant for students who did not qualify for a Pell Grant on financial need alone, so it filled a gap for families whose income was too high for regular need-based aid.

Under the old rules, a student generally qualified if their parent or guardian died as a result of military service in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001, and the student was under 24 years old or enrolled in college at least part-time at the time of the death. The award was tied to the maximum Pell amount, but it was trimmed each year by federal budget sequestration, so students often got a little less than the full Pell figure.

The FAFSA Simplification Act changed this. Starting July 1, 2024, the Department stopped making separate IASG awards. In its 2024 guidance to schools, it explained that eligible students would instead receive a maximum Pell Grant under a "Special Rule" written into the Higher Education Act. If you see a college website that still lists the IASG as a current grant, that page is out of date.

The Pell Grant Special Rule that replaced it

The Special Rule is broader and more generous than the grant it replaced. According to the 2026–27 Federal Student Aid Handbook, a student qualifies if they are the child of a parent or guardian who died in the line of duty while either:

• serving on active duty as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces on or after September 11, 2001, or
• actively serving as a public safety officer, such as a police officer, firefighter, or member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew.

Three changes matter most for military families:

1. Any line-of-duty death counts. The parent no longer has to have died because of service in Iraq or Afghanistan. A line-of-duty death in a training accident, at sea, or at a base in the United States can qualify, as long as the parent was on active duty on or after 9/11.
2. A higher age limit. The old "under 24 or enrolled" test is gone. The student must be less than 33 years old as of January 1 before the award year. For the 2026–27 award year, that means under 33 on January 1, 2026.
3. The full award. Eligible students get the maximum Pell Grant regardless of their Student Aid Index. The Department's 2026–27 letter to schools sets the maximum at $7,395 and notes that new rules blocking Pell for students with a very high SAI do not apply to students who qualify under the Special Rule.

Pell is a grant, so it usually does not need to be repaid. There are exceptions, such as withdrawing early in a term. Our guide do you have to pay back Pell Grants explains when a school or the Department can ask for money back.

Old grant and new rule side by side

Eligibility checklist for the maximum Pell

The Special Rule removes the income test, but it does not remove the normal Pell rules. Before you count on the award, check each of these:

• Relationship: you are the child of the parent or guardian who died. Schools look at documents that show both the death and your relationship.
• Age: you were under 33 on January 1 before the award year.
• Undergraduate study: Pell generally goes only to undergraduates who have not earned a bachelor's degree. Graduate students cannot use it.
• An eligible program and school: the college must take part in federal student aid.
• General federal aid rules: such as being a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen and keeping satisfactory academic progress.
• Lifetime limit: Pell has a lifetime cap equal to about six years of full-time awards. Years you already used count toward it.

The maximum award is for full-time enrollment. If you attend part-time, your school prorates the Pell amount by your enrollment level, so the dollars per term will be lower. Ask your financial aid office to show you the math.

Claiming it on the FAFSA, step by step

There is no separate application. The benefit flows through the FAFSA form, which is free to file.

1. File the FAFSA every year. The 2027–28 form covers classes from July 2027. Filing early helps with state and school aid that runs out.
2. Answer the question about a parent or guardian who died. The Department says students self-identify potential eligibility on the FAFSA. Read the question carefully and answer yes if it fits.
3. Send documents to your school. The Handbook lists examples a school may accept, such as a DD Form 1300 (report of casualty), a DD Form 214 with a death certificate, a VA death narrative, or a Public Safety Officers' Benefits determination letter.
4. Watch your aid offer. Your Pell line should show the maximum for your enrollment level. If it does not, call the financial aid office and ask whether your Special Rule eligibility was recorded.
5. Re-file each year. Once a school certifies you, the Handbook says neither that school nor another school has to redetermine your eligibility in later years, as long as you still meet the age rule and the other Pell rules. You still need a new FAFSA each year.

Students who got the grant before 2024

Some students qualified for the old Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, or for the old Children of Fallen Heroes Pell rule for public safety officers, but would not fit the new definition. The Department created "legacy" protection for them. According to the Handbook, a student who received at least one disbursement based on that eligibility during the 2023–24 award year can keep it, as long as they meet the age requirement and receive at least one disbursement in each later award year.

The catch is the break rule. If a legacy student skips a full award year without a disbursement, they must qualify under the current Special Rule to get the maximum Pell again. If you are in this group and plan to take time off, talk to your aid office first.

The Department also notes that the 2022 PACT Act briefly widened IASG eligibility for the 2023–24 award year only, for survivors of certain veterans whose deaths were linked to toxic exposures. That expansion did not carry into later years.

Fry Scholarship under the Post-9/11 GI Bill

The Pell Grant is only one piece. The VA's Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship gives Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to the children and surviving spouses of service members who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001. It also covers some Selected Reserve deaths and deaths from a service-connected disability within 120 days of discharge.

According to the VA, Fry can pay for up to 36 months of:

• tuition and fees, paid to the school,
• a monthly housing allowance,
• money for books and supplies, and
• tutoring, licensing and certification tests, and some other costs.

Children can use Fry once they turn 18 or finish high school. If the parent died before January 1, 2013, a child's benefits generally end at age 33, with some exceptions. If the parent died on or after January 1, 2013, the VA says there is no time limit. A child who receives Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) must give up DIC while using Fry; a surviving spouse can keep DIC. The VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool estimates what Fry would pay at a given school.

DEA benefits under Chapter 35

Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA), also called Chapter 35, pays a monthly amount directly to the student. It covers children and spouses of service members who died in the line of duty or from a service-connected cause, and of veterans rated permanently and totally disabled.

The VA's DEA rates page lists $1,621 a month for full-time school from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027. Training that started on or after August 1, 2018, gets up to 36 months. Children whose eligibility began on or after August 1, 2023, can use DEA at any age with no time limit; older cases generally follow the 18-to-26 window, with exceptions.

If your parent died in the line of duty, you may qualify for both Fry and DEA, but you can use only one at a time. The VA caps combined use at 81 months if the death was before August 1, 2011, and generally at 48 months after that. Because the choice can be hard to undo, compare both with a school certifying official or an accredited veterans service officer before you sign up.

State tuition waivers for survivors

Many states waive tuition at public colleges for children of service members who died on duty. Rules depend on where the service member or family lived. Two examples checked on official state pages:

Florida's 2026–27 CSDDV fact sheet asks for the student's Chapter 35 certificate of eligibility, a birth certificate, the veteran's DD Form 214, and the death certificate. Illinois lists its program on the IDVA education benefits page. For other states, search your state's veterans affairs department or call its office. Your county veterans service officer can also tell you which waivers apply. For more ways to lower college costs, see college grants for low-income families.

Children of Fallen Patriots and other private aid

Private groups help where federal and state programs leave gaps. The Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation says it has given more than $82 million in scholarships to over 4,000 children since 2002. It serves military children who lost a parent in the line of duty, including deaths from training accidents, service-related illness, and suicide. Besides money, it offers college counseling and career guidance. The foundation says it is joining the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and that its Gold Star Scholar program is continuing; families can start on its enroll a scholar page.

Other places to ask include your service branch's relief society, survivor support groups, and your college's own scholarship office. Private scholarships can affect how much need-based aid a school gives you, so report them to the aid office. They generally do not reduce a Special Rule Pell award, which is set at the maximum, but your total aid cannot go above your cost of attendance.

How the benefits stack together

Most families can combine these programs. Here is how they usually fit:

• Pell (Special Rule) is paid to your school and reduces your bill first. Any leftover can be refunded to you for living costs.
• Fry or DEA comes from the VA. Fry pays tuition to the school and a housing allowance to you; DEA pays you a monthly amount. VA benefits generally do not lower your Pell Grant.
• State waivers often apply after other grants. Some states require you to use federal aid first.
• Private scholarships fill what is left, such as housing, a laptop, or travel.

Every school packages aid a little differently. Ask the aid office for a written breakdown of each award, and bring a family member or a veterans service officer to the meeting if that helps. For a wider look at federal and state options, see government assistance for college students.

Related guides

• Free college for low-income families
• Tuition assistance for military spouses
• Veteran utility assistance programs
• Christmas help for veterans

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not financial aid or legal advice. Your school's financial aid office and the VA make the final decisions on eligibility. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, the VA, or any government agency.