Florida CSDDV Scholarship: Tuition Benefits for Dependents of Deceased Veterans

When a Florida veteran dies in service or from a service-connected disability, the financial burden on the surviving family extends far beyond the funeral. For families with children approaching college age — or surviving spouses looking to rebuild their career through education — Florida maintains one of the most generous veteran dependent scholarship programs in the country.

The Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans (CSDDV) program provides tuition and required registration fees at Florida public institutions for up to 110% of the required credit hours of an initial baccalaureate degree or certificate program. It is not a loan. It does not need to be repaid.

Who Qualifies

The CSDDV is administered by the Florida Department of Education in coordination with the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs. Eligibility criteria apply separately to the veteran's status and the applicant's status; confirm the current requirements with those agencies.

The veteran must have been:

• Have Florida listed as the servicemember's official home of record in the DEERS database immediately preceding the qualifying event
• Honorably discharged (or have an other-than-dishonorable discharge, depending on circumstances)
• In one of the following categories:
  • Died as a result of a service-connected disability sustained while on active duty
  • Rated as 100% permanently and totally disabled by the VA due to a service-connected disability (this also qualifies surviving dependents while the veteran is alive)
  • Classified as a prisoner of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA), for a dependent child to receive scholarship funding

Families of qualifying service-connected deaths or disabilities should confirm the veteran's status with FDVA before applying.

The applicant (surviving spouse or child) must be:

• A Florida resident
• Between ages 16 and 22 and initially eligible before the 23rd birthday if applying as a child (confirm current disabled-dependent rules)
• Unmarried if applying as a child (this is a common disqualifying oversight — children who marry lose eligibility)
• Any age if applying as a surviving spouse

There is no income test. The scholarship does not depend on financial need.

What It Covers

The CSDDV scholarship pays tuition and required registration fees at Florida public institutions for up to 110% of the required credit hours of an initial baccalaureate degree or certificate program. This applies at Florida public universities and colleges, including State University System and Florida College System institutions.

At an eligible private postsecondary institution, the award is calculated using the average tuition and required fees at a comparable public institution. Out-of-state treatment depends on the applicable program, so confirm the institution's participation and the current C.W. Bill Young waiver rules before enrolling.

The benefit is calculated from required credit hours and the applicable tuition and registration fees rather than a flat dollar amount. The current fact sheet states that a student enrolled in at least six credit hours at an eligible Florida public institution receives an award equal to tuition and required registration fees, subject to program rules.

How to Apply

Applications go through the Florida Department of Education's Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA). The Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) includes the CSDDV questions that allow FDVA to certify the veteran's status. The process has two phases:

Phase 1: Certification by the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA)

The applicant must provide the information and documentation needed for the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA) to certify that the veteran meets the eligibility criteria. This may require:

• DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty)
• VA disability rating letter (if applicable)
• Certified death certificate
• Documentation of the veteran's qualifying service-connected status from FDVA or VA, if requested

The FDVA reviews the veteran's record and certifies the veteran's status for OSFA. This is separate from the VA's federal benefit system — the FDVA is a state agency. If you've already been working with the federal VA, you'll need to separately engage the Florida state veterans' agency.

Phase 2: OSFA award processing

After the FFAA and FDVA review, OSFA processes the CSDDV award. Be prepared to provide:

• FDVA certification information
• Proof of Florida residency
• Proof of relationship to the veteran (birth certificate, marriage certificate)
• Proof of acceptance or enrollment at a Florida public institution

For funding beginning with the fall 2026 term, submit a completed Florida Financial Aid Application by April 1, 2026 for priority consideration; applications received later are considered first-come, first-served if funds remain. Confirm the current cycle's deadline with OSFA. There is no application fee.

Timing Considerations for Surviving Spouses

Surviving spouses face a particular decision point: should they apply for CSDDV now while managing estate settlement, or defer enrollment until the estate is settled?

There is no requirement to apply immediately after the death, but a surviving spouse of a deceased veteran must apply within 5 years after the veteran's death. However:

• If the surviving spouse remarries, they lose CSDDV eligibility. Applications should be submitted before any remarriage
• Annual renewals require maintaining satisfactory academic progress — the typical college standard (usually a 2.0+ GPA)
• Funding is generally for an initial baccalaureate degree or certificate program; confirm current program and extended-hours rules before enrolling

Interaction With Other Education Benefits

Several federal benefits can layer on top of CSDDV:

VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC): A separate monthly cash payment to eligible surviving spouses and children from the VA. Eligibility is based on the same service-connected death criteria. DIC and CSDDV are entirely separate programs — receiving DIC does not affect CSDDV eligibility.

Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA / Chapter 35): A federal VA program providing monthly stipends for education and training for eligible survivors. DEA generally provides up to 36 months for programs beginning on or after August 1, 2018; some earlier users may have up to 45 months. When combined with CSDDV, DEA can provide living-expense support while CSDDV covers eligible tuition and fees. Confirm with the agencies whether the benefits can be used together in your situation.

Fry Scholarship (Post-9/11 GI Bill transfer): Available to children and surviving spouses of veterans who died in the line of duty after September 10, 2001. Provides tuition at private schools and a monthly housing allowance. Children must choose between the Fry Scholarship and DEA — they cannot receive both. CSDDV covers Florida public school tuition and can be used alongside Fry in theory, though coordination with OSFA is required.

Property Tax Connection

Separately from the CSDDV scholarship, surviving spouses of first responders who died in the line of duty, and surviving spouses of veterans who died from service-connected causes while on active duty, qualify for a 100% property tax exemption under F.S. §196.081. This is not just a discount — the tax is entirely eliminated on the primary residence.

This exemption requires a separate application to the county property appraiser by March 1 of the tax year. It does not happen automatically, even if the county knows about the death. If March 1 has already passed for the current tax year, file immediately for the following year.

For families navigating all of these benefits at once — CSDDV applications, property tax exemptions, DIC claims, estate settlement, and health insurance continuation — the Florida Survivor Benefits Navigator consolidates the full picture with deadlines, forms, and a prioritized action timeline for the first 90 days.

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