Request for Approval of School Attendance
Your dependent child turned 18 (or will soon) and is or will be enrolled full-time in an approved school, college, vocational program, or training course.
Gather before you start
Attach with the form
Section I - Veteran Identification
Blocks 1-4Veteran name, SSN, VA File Number, addressPII
Match your existing VA award records. The file number is on any compensation letter you have received from VA.
(legal name and VA file number)
- Omitting VA File Number - form cannot be matched to your award file.
Section II - Child Information
Blocks 5-8Child full name, SSN, DOB, relationshipPII
The dependent child whose school attendance you are certifying. Use their full legal name and Social Security number exactly as it appears on their birth certificate and SSA records.
e.g., Emily Grace Smith, SSN: 345-67-8901, DOB: 06/15/2008, biological child
- Using the child's nickname - VA matches to SSA records by legal name.
- Filing for a child who does not appear on 21-686c - the child must already be a recognized dependent.
Section III - School Information
Blocks 9-15School name, address, type of program, enrollment dates, credit hours
Provide the complete school name and address, program type (undergraduate college, graduate school, vocational/trade school, correspondence course), enrollment start and expected end dates, and number of credit or clock hours per semester/quarter. Full-time enrollment is defined by the school's own standards (typically 12+ credit hours for undergrad).
e.g., Arizona State University, 1151 S Forest Ave, Tempe AZ 85281; Bachelor of Science, Engineering; enrolled 08/22/2026 to 05/15/2030; 15 credit hours/semester
- Listing part-time enrollment (under the school's full-time threshold) - only full-time enrollment qualifies.
- Leaving enrollment end date blank - VA needs this to know when dependency automatically terminates.
- Not updating VA when the child switches schools, programs, or drops to part-time - dependency terminates when full-time status ends and you must report it.
Section IV - School Certifying Official Signature
Block 16School certifying official signature (if required)
In some cases VA requests that a school official certify the enrollment. Many veterans simply submit this form with a separate enrollment verification letter from the registrar. Check VA guidance; if the school section is blank, attach an enrollment certification letter.
(school certifying official or enrollment letter attached)
- Submitting without any school verification - VA may return the form requesting proof of enrollment.
- Using unofficial screenshots from a student portal - VA typically requires official enrollment certification from the registrar.
Section V - Veteran Signature
Block 17Veteran signature and datePII
Sign and date certifying the information is accurate under penalty of perjury.
(signature/date)
- Not filing annually - school approval must be renewed each academic year.
- Forgetting to report when the child graduates or leaves school before turning 23 - VA will detect this and may recover overpayments.