CalVet College Fee Waiver (CVFW)

Initial eligibility is determined by the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) at any California County Veteran Service Office (CVSO). Please find the eligibility requirements at the bottom of the CalVet website). Reach out to your California county’s Veteran Service Office (CVSO) for assistance in applying for the waiver.

Basic eligibility guidelines are as follows:

• You must be the legal dependent of a veteran who possesses a VA disability rating. If you are a child dependent, you must be below CalVet’s annual income threshold. You must refer to the VSO website for specific eligibility details. 

• UCSD eligibility requirement: In addition to being approved by CalVet, you must also be determined to be a California resident by the Residence Deputy at UCSD. An exemption from the out-of-state tuition charge does not suffice.

• You must apply for the waiver with a CVSO each academic year

Since this is an annual award, you should apply for it at a County Veteran Services Office in May each year once taxes are filed. CalVet waiver authorization letters are good for one academic year (academic years start with Fall and end with the following Summer Session).

Given the demand across all CVSOs, it can take weeks or months for your CVFW authorization letter to be issued. Once you have your letter, email it to us at vao@ucsd.edu.

Please reach out to your county’s VSO for assistance filling out the PDF application and for questions about other required documentation.

The CVFW covers all UC systemwide tuition and fees, including the tuition charge, professional degree supplemental tuition (if applicable), and the Student Services fee for one academic year (the academic year begins with the fall quarter and ends the following summer). 

The exact dollar amount covered varies depending on your cohort year. Please refer to our tuition and registration fees web pages. 

The CVFW does not cover UC SHIP, housing and dining charges, bookstore charges, deposit fees, course-specific fees (like lab fees,) parking fees, or UCSD-specific registration fees. These fees must be covered out-of-pocket or with other financial aid.

Unfortunately, according to state law and UC regulations, students cannot have a waiver retroactively applied to their account for an academic year that has already passed.* They must turn in the authorization letter during the year for which it is valid (i.e., before Summer Sessions end). Note that the academic year begins in Fall Quarter (late September) and goes through Summer Sessions (late August/ early September).

* There is one exception for a retro-active use of the waiver: Your military sponsor did not yet have a disability rating on file with the VA at the time of application for the CalVet College Fee waiver, and the application was denied for that reason. Please note that the application must be submitted to the county Veteran Services Office during the academic year for which it is valid.

The CalVet Fee Waiver can be used for any UCSD undergraduate or graduate program (with the exception of Self-Supporting Programs) for matriculated students, so long as they are deemed eligible by their Veteran’s Service Office.

As long as you meet the VSO's requirements for issuance and are deemed a Resident for Tuition Purposes, you may use the CVFW if you are admitted to a graduate program. You may not use the waiver for Self-Supporting Programs.

No. In order to approve your CVFW authorization letter, we need a copy of the letter for our files. Each letter includes a unique 20-digit code, which we also use for processing.

Yes, if you have non-military scholarships, grant, and other aid, the CVFW will be factored into your overall aid package by the Financial Aid and Scholarships unit. The CVFW may reduce or replace other aid. Please note that Cal Grant and CalVet College Fee Waiver cover the same expenses. Therefore, if you provide a CalVet authorization letter, it will replace the Cal Grant.

You may use the CVFW Plan B with the VA’s Chapter 35 DEA benefit. You may use the CVFW (any plan) with the VA’s Chapter 33 GI Bill® (recommended only if you are less than 100% eligible for the Post 9/11 G Bill). Please note, however, that the $$ value of the fee waiver will be deducted from the total tuition/fee coverage provided by the GI Bill. In other words, the GI Bill can cover what is left over for registration fees after the waiver is applied to the balance.

The CalVet Fee Waiver will cover tuition for UCEAP, but it will not cover any other program fees, airfare, etc.  You must provide a copy of your CVFW authorization letter to the Financial Aid Counselor/Advisor at UCEAP, since UCEAP has a separate billing system. Contact UCEAP for more information about their procedures.  

There are no minimum grades nor unit requirements to keep using the CVFW during the academic year. If you decide to withdraw for the term, the waiver will remain applied to your tuition and student services fee. However, we always encourage students to reach out to their college advisors if they are not making degree progress.

Yes! The CalVet College Fee waiver can cover your summer tuition charge if you are a continuing student at UCSD (you can't use the waiver as a visitor unless you are visiting from another University of California campus).

Summer Sessions is at the end of the academic year; Summer 2024 is covered under the 2023-2024 approval letter, for instance.