Process Change for Student Survivor Benefit Plan
Process Change for Student Survivor Benefit Plan
The Department of Defense has announced an updated process for verifying that child beneficiaries of the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) are full-time students.
The SBP annuity is paid to the dependents of fallen service members or deceased military retirees. Payments usually stop when the dependent reaches the age of 18. However, payments can continue until the age of 22 as long as the individual attends an accredited trade school, technical institute, college, or university on a full-time basis. In the past, students were required to complete a form at the start of every semester or provide a transcript to the Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS) to receive payments. If the certification is not received, all payments will be suspended until DFAS receives a properly completed form. According to the Pentagon, this process can be “frustrating for busy college students.” The process has been made even more difficult by the COVID-19 pandemic, as schools were required to close.
In response to this dilemma, the DD Form 2788, “Child’s Annuitant’s School Certification,” has been created. This is a self-certification form that no longer requires a school official’s signature or documentation from the school. The form only needs to be completed once a year, rather than every term or semester. Students will also sign and return a short letter confirming their past full-time attendance to confirm their previous attendance. In the future, the Child’s Annuitant’s Certification that they receive in the mail will be prefilled with the information they previously provided on the DD 2788 form, allowing them to simply confirm and sign. This form is shorter and easier, consisting of only two pages that need to be filled out, making the process less confusing.
DFAS has created an online tool where you can upload a school certification such as the DD Form 2788. DFAS will also send reminders when the form is due if the student submits their email address through myPay.
For more information about this new process, please visit the DFAS website.
DFAS website School Certifications
DFAS online tool for certification
About the author
Lori Waddell serves as Co-director of an emergency response COAD in Montana, a freelance writer, and an Air Force Key Spouse. She is passionate about empowering communities and individuals through knowledge and resources. She currently lives in Montana with her husband and two children.
