VA Form 21-674
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.
- Who fills it
- veteran
- Journey phase
- Keeping Your Award Current
- Estimated time
- 15-30 minutes. The school may need to complete a section.
- When to file
- Before or shortly after the child turns 18, and then at the start of each school year for continued benefits. Retroactive payment is limited so file promptly.
Official VA form page: https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-21-674/
Gather before you start
- ▸Child's full name, SSN, DOB
- ▸School name and address
- ▸Type of program (college, vocational, trade)
- ▸Enrollment dates and number of credit hours or clock hours
- ▸Expected graduation or program completion date
Attach with the form
- ▸School enrollment certification or letter confirming full-time status (if required by VA)
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)
Common mistakes
- ×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
Common mistakes
- ×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.
Authority
- 38 CFR 3.57 - School-enrollment requirements (18-23) and permanently helpless child determinations for dependency.
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
Common mistakes
- ×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.
Authority
- 38 CFR 3.250 - VA approval of school enrollment for dependent children 18-23 to continue dependency.
- 38 CFR 3.667 - Continued benefits for dependent children in school.
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)
Common mistakes
- ×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)
Common mistakes
- ×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.
Statutory and regulatory authority
- 38 CFR 3.57 - School-enrollment requirements (18-23) and permanently helpless child determinations for dependency.
- 38 CFR 3.250 - VA approval of school enrollment for dependent children 18-23 to continue dependency.
- 38 CFR 3.667 - Continued benefits for dependent children in school.
- 38 USC 1115 - Additional monthly compensation for veteran-rated 30%+ with qualifying dependents (spouse, children, dependent parents).
- M21-1 V.iii.1.B - How raters verify VA Form 21-674 school-attendance claims.