Veterans Education Program: Your Guide to DVA Schemes and Benefits in Australia

What the Veterans Education Program Covers in Australia

The veterans education program is not one single benefit. It is a group of schemes, allowances and grants linked to the Department of Veterans' Affairs that support eligible dependents, while separate RPL grant-funded pathways help tertiary providers recognise veterans’ service skills. Some help dependents finish school or pay for university. Others help veterans translate military experience into civilian qualifications.

Education Schemes for Eligible Young Persons

The two main schemes that support the children of veterans are the Veterans' Children Education Scheme (VCES) and the MRCAETS. According to the DVA guidance on its education schemes, these schemes provide: 

• Financial assistance
• Student support services
• Access to guidance and counselling

The VCES sits under the Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986. The MRCAETS sits under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004. The benefits are mostly the same. The eligibility rules differ slightly because they reflect the legislation each scheme falls under.

Skills Recognition for Transitioning Veterans

The other side of the program supports veterans themselves. Through the Australian Government's Veteran Recognition of Prior Learning Tertiary Support Grant Program, funding is provided to universities so they can build entry pathways and credit-mapping systems that recognise the skills you gained in service. Skills in areas such as leadership, logistics, engineering, communications and technical training may be considered, depending on the university’s RPL framework and course requirements.

This grant program forms part of the broader Veteran Employment Program. According to DVA, the Australian Government has invested $1.65 million over three rounds since the program launched in 2022, helping universities adapt their frameworks for veterans entering tertiary study.

How the MRCA Education and Training Scheme Works

Where MRCAETS applies, your dependent may be considered only if they meet the eligible young person rules and the veteran’s DVA status meets the scheme criteria. This can include SRDP eligibility, 80 or more MRCA impairment points, or death accepted as related to service. It pays an education allowance to eligible young persons in full-time study, and it can include:

• Additional tuition
• Fares allowance
• Rent assistance depending on circumstances

Who Qualifies as an Eligible Young Person

The MRCA defines an eligible young person as a dependant who was wholly, mainly or partly dependent on the member, including any person for whom the member stands in the position of a parent. Eligibility must still be verified by DVA against the legislation.

In broad terms, DVA's eligibility criteria for the education schemes cover children who are under 16, or aged between 16 and 25 and undertaking full-time education such as: 

• School
• University
• An Australian Apprenticeship
• Traineeship
• Cadetship

The young person cannot ordinarily be in full-time work on their own account.

The veteran's status matters too. Under MRCAETS, the dependant must be linked to a member or former member who meets the scheme criteria, such as SRDP eligibility, 80 or more impairment points, or death accepted as related to service.

Education Allowance Rates and Living Arrangements

The education allowance is paid fortnightly and is not means tested. According to DVA's Compensation and Support Policy Library on education allowances, allowances are paid at four rates: 

• Living at Home
• Living Away from Home
• Homeless
• Double Orphan

Each rate reflects different circumstances. Tertiary students who must live away from their family home to attend their course receive a higher allowance. The Living Away from Home rate may also unlock access to fares allowance and rent assistance.

A few practical points worth knowing:

• Education allowance is tax-exempt up to age 16. From 16 onwards, it is generally treated as taxable income of the student.
• Once a child turns 16, the family cannot receive both Family Tax Benefit and an education allowance from DVA. You will need to choose which payment suits the family better.
• Recipients cannot also receive Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY, or Austudy at the same time.

Long Tan Bursary and Sponsored Scholarships for Veteran Families

The Long Tan Bursary is one of the better-known forms of support. Funded by DVA and administered by the Australian Veterans' Children Assistance Trust, it helps eligible children and grandchildren of Vietnam veterans pay for tertiary study. The official DVA Long Tan Bursary page confirms that 37 bursaries are awarded each year, each worth up to $12,000 across three years of continuous full-time study.

Who May Be Eligible 

To qualify, the applicant generally needs to:

• Be the child or grandchild of an Australian veteran who served in Vietnam between 31 July 1962 and 30 April 1975
• Have Australian residency status
• Be planning to enrol or be enrolled in full-time post-secondary study at an Australian university, TAFE, or registered training organisation
• Qualify for continuous payment of educational benefits such as Youth Allowance, VCES, or a comparable Commonwealth benefit

AVCAT also considers financial need as part of the assessment.

Other Sponsored Scholarships 

Beyond the Long Tan Bursary, AVCAT also administers sponsored scholarships for the children and grandchildren of ex-serving veterans. These scholarships are funded by ex-service organisations, corporate donors, and private contributors, and they sit alongside the bursary as additional support for veteran families.

Recognition of Prior Learning for Veterans Returning to Civilian Study

For veterans transitioning out of service, Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can be a useful pathway when a tertiary provider has a framework for assessing ADF skills. The DVA-linked initiative is the Veteran Recognition of Prior Learning – Tertiary Support Grant Program, which funds invited tertiary education facilities to build or improve credit-mapping, entry and RPL pathways. RPL is a formal assessment process that may help translate your military experience into entry pathways, credit or recognition towards a qualification, depending on the provider’s framework. 

How RPL Translates ADF Skills Into Tertiary Credit

Through the RPL Grant Program, universities have built dedicated frameworks for assessing service-based skills. The University of Canberra, for example, set up the Veteran Tertiary Support Program, offering direct entry pathways and automatic credit. The DVA news update on the final round of RPL grants confirmed that three universities shared $250,000 in the third round, continuing work that began in 2022.

What this means in practice is that if you trained in logistics, signals, medical, engineering or leadership during your service, those skills may be assessed against tertiary entry or credit requirements. Where credit or entry is granted, it can support a clearer pathway into civilian study.

If you are looking at study as part of your transition, it is worth asking the university directly what RPL pathways they offer for veterans. Ask the university whether it has a veteran liaison contact, RPL adviser or admissions team familiar with ADF service.

Major Changes from 1 July 2026 Under the Improved MRCA

The legislative landscape for veterans is changing. Under the Veterans’ Entitlements, Treatment and Support (Simplification and Harmonisation) Act 2025, the VEA and DRCA will close to new compensation and rehabilitation claims on 30 June 2026. New compensation and rehabilitation claims lodged on or after 1 July 2026 will be determined under the improved MRCA. For education support, VCES will close and MRCAETS will become the single education scheme for eligible dependents from 1 July 2026.

For families, the practical issue is timing. If a veteran’s claim or permanent impairment assessment is still unresolved, DVA may not yet have the accepted status needed to assess dependent education support. This is where early document checks matter: accepted conditions, impairment outcomes, dependent relationship evidence and enrolment documents all need to line up before the education scheme pathway becomes clear.

What the VETS Act Reforms Mean for Education Schemes

From that date, the VCES will close. The MRCAETS becomes the single education scheme for eligible dependents of veterans. According to DVA, students currently receiving VCES payments will automatically transfer to MRCAETS without needing to reapply for the current study year. Families should check the current DVA rate tables when planning, as rates can change through indexation.

For families of DRCA and VEA veterans, this is significant. DRCA dependents may qualify for MRCAETS benefits from 1 July 2026, subject to meeting the MRCA eligibility requirements. VEA dependents already receiving VCES support will transfer to MRCAETS for the current study year. If your family fits this profile, it is worth gathering your documents now so you are ready when the changes take effect.

We recommend speaking to a qualified specialist about how these changes affect your family's specific situation, particularly if your veteran's claim is still being assessed or you are preparing to lodge a new claim. Our Permanent Impairment Claims service can help clarify how the reforms intersect with the claim itself.

How Your DVA Claim Connects to Your Family's Education Support

This is the part most families miss. Education scheme support has its own claim process, but eligibility still depends on the veteran’s accepted DVA status and the dependant meeting the scheme rules. If your permanent impairment claim is still being assessed, or if relevant conditions have not yet been accepted, it may affect whether DVA can assess your dependant’s eligibility for education scheme support. 

Education scheme support can form part of a family’s broader entitlements where DVA eligibility criteria are met. A permanent impairment assessment may affect whether DVA can assess eligibility for some family education support later. That is why clear evidence, complete documentation and accurate claim preparation matter from the start.

How Eligibility Usually Flows 

The flow generally works like this. A veteran lodges a claim, has conditions accepted and meets the relevant MRCA criteria, such as SRDP eligibility or 80 or more impairment points. Depending on the outcome, dependents may then become eligible for the education schemes. For families of veterans whose death has been accepted as service-related, the schemes are also available to support the dependents left behind. 

If you are unsure whether your accepted conditions or impairment level may support eligibility for education support, our Eligible Young Persons Payments service page walks through how these payments connect to accepted conditions, DVA eligibility decisions and the relevant MRCA scheme rules. We have supported approximately 9,000 veterans through their DVA claims, and the team understands how the pieces fit together.

Practical Steps to Access the Veterans Education Program

If you think your family qualifies for support under the Veterans Education Program, here is how to start.

1. First, get clarity on the veteran's claim status. If you have not lodged a permanent impairment claim, or if you are unsure whether your accepted conditions meet the MRCA threshold relevant to family entitlements, that is the place to begin. Our DVA claims support team can review where things sit.
2. Second, gather the documents your dependant will need. Education scheme applications generally require proof of identity, evidence of full-time enrolment and confirmation of the relationship to the veteran. The DVA MyService portal is the most efficient way to submit a claim form.
3. Third, understand the interaction with other payments. Receiving an education allowance under MRCAETS or VCES rules out concurrent Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY or Austudy. Families with secondary school students aged 16 or over also need to choose between the Family Tax Benefit and the education allowance.
4. Finally, check whether your circumstances have changed. If accepted conditions have worsened, family circumstances have changed or you have questions about an existing DVA determination, it may be worth seeking advice about the review options available under the legislation. Our Initial Liability Claims service covers the first stage of getting conditions accepted, which is the precursor to most family support entitlements.

Planning the Next Step for Your Family

The veterans education program can offer long-term support, but the right pathway depends on your situation.  Contact Veterans First Consulting for an independent review of where you stand, and we will talk you through your options.