Initiating Benefits at UCSD
All students using California State education benefits (Cal Vet College Fee waiver) or Federal VA education benefits (Chapters 33, 35, 31, 1606) must provide eligibility documentation to UCSD to initiate their benefits.
Please refer to the guide below for your benefit and email your eligibility documentation to vao@ucsd.edu (a PDF is preferred, or a high quality, well-lit, cropped photo). We request that all students communicate with our office directly (even if you received your benefit from a military sponsor), as federal privacy laws prohibit us from sharing information about your benefits and academic records (even with your family members) without your consent.
CH33 Post 9/11 GI Bill®
- Copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) or a screen shot of your education entitlement page (Statement of Benefits) from the VA’s website: Post-9/11 GI Bill Statement Of Benefits | Veterans Affairs (va.gov)
- Learn how to transfer your Post 9/11 GI Bill to your dependents
- Apply for Chapter 33 Post 9/11 Gi Bill if you have not already
CH35 Dependent Education Assistance Program (DEA)
- Copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
- Your sponsor's SSN. Please call (858) 534-0077 to provide the number once you have emailed your COE. Do not email this information.
- Apply for Chapter 35 DEA if you have not already
CH1606 Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)
- Copy of your Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE – your reserve unit provides this document)
- Inquire with your Reserve Unit about your eligibility
Chapter 31 Veterans Readiness and Employment (VRE)
- Formerly known as the Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program
- If you intend to use the Chapter 31 VRE program at UCSD, please email your PID (student ID number) and the full name and email address of your VRE counselor to vao@ucsd.edu so that we can reach out to request authorization paperwork for you.
California Veterans College Fee Waiver
- Copy of your CalVet College Fee waiver approval letter
- Contact your local California County Veteran Services Office for information about applying for the waiver
- Please note you must be determined a CA resident by UCSD in order to use the waiver
Once we recieve your eligibility documentation, we will add you to our email list. New students enroll in courses for the Fall quarter in August - we will send you an instructional welcome email at that time.
Mandatory Enrollment Verification
Once you've applied and been approved to receive your educational benefits from the VA, and you've enrolled in your classes, you must complete the enrollment verification e-form.
This form is required by UC San Diego to allow our office to report your enrollment to the VA, and must be submitted for each quarter you would like certified to the VA. Revised e-forms should be submitted if your schedule changes or you withdraw from a term.
Please note that the VA-eForm is only required for Federal education benefits (Chapters 33, 35, 31, and 1606) - you do not need to utilze the VA-eForm to use the CalVet College Fee waiver.
Please fully read and understand the UC San Diego VA Notification of Requirements (PDF) when you submit your completed e-form.
Please refer to all applicable sections of our website to learn more about using benefits at UC San Diego!
To access all available topics, revisit our home page, or use the links on the left (on your desktop computer) or at the bottom of the page (if you're on a phone).
Contact Us
If you still have questions or need assistance, contact the Veteran Benefits Office:
- Email: vao@ucsd.edu
- Registrar's Office, Student Services Center, 2nd floor (map)
Find additional veteran / military resources and support: