College Fee Waiver

​The CalVet College Fee Waiver for Veteran Dependents benefit waives mandatory system-wide tuition and fees at any State of California Community College, California State University, or University of California campus. This program does not cover the expense of books, parking or room and board. There are four plans, the MOST common are

Plan A

The unmarried child of a Veteran who is totally service-connected disabled (100%) or whose death was officially rated as service-connected is eligible. The child must be over 14 years old and under 27 years old to be eligible. If the child is a Veteran, then the age limit is extended to age 30;

• The spouse of a wartime Veteran who is totally service-connected disabled is eligible. There are no age limit restrictions;
• The unmarried surviving spouse of a wartime Veteran whose death has been rated as service-connected is eligible. There are no age limit restrictions;
• Any dependent of any Veteran who has been declared missing in action, captured in the line of duty by hostile forces, or forcibly detained or interned in the line of duty by a foreign government or power is eligible.

The Veteran must have served at least one day of active duty during a period of war as declared by the U.S. Congress, or during any time in which the Veteran was awarded a campaign or expeditionary medal. Concurrent receipt of benefits under Plan A and VA Chapter 35 benefits is prohibited. To receive benefits under Plan A, a dependent must sign an "Election To Receive College Waiver Benefits" statement acknowledging this fact. There are no income restrictions under this plan. To be eligible, the event which caused basic entitlement to benefits (i.e., the date the Veteran died of service-connected causes or the date the military or United States Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) rated the Veteran as totally disabled as a result of service-connected disabilities) must have occurred prior to the child's 21st birthday.

Documents Required for Plan A:

• Verification of dependency: government issued birth certificate, adoption records and marriage certificate-if a stepchild  (need marriage certificate along with birth certificate)
• Election form to Receive CalVet College Fee Waiver in lieu of Chapter 35 (VSD-20)

Plan B

The child of a Veteran who has a service-connected disability (0%-100%), or had a service-connected disability at the time of death, or died of service-related causes is eligible. The child's annual income, which includes the child's adjusted gross income, plus the value of support provided by a parent, may not exceed the  annual income limit of $21,561 which is based off of the California State Poverty Threshold for academic calendar year 2024/2025. The current academic year entitlement is based upon the previous calendar year's annual income. Under Plan B, wartime service is not required and there are no specific age requirements. Children are the only dependents eligible under this plan. There is no prohibition against receiving concurrent VA Chapter 35 benefits.

Documents Required for Plan B: 

• Verification of dependency: government issued birth certificate, adoption records and marriage certificate-if a stepchild  (need marriage certificate along with birth certificate)
• Student-SIGNED copy of their federal income tax form 1040 or state income tax form 540, from "Last Year"

                                  or      

• if a child does not have a copy of their income tax, or if a child did not file a return, they must submit a statement from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS Non-Filing Letter)