Education Benefits

Website: https://www.calvet.ca.gov/vetservices/pages/college-fee-waiver.aspx

Benefit Detail: The CalVet College Tuition 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 for California residents. This program does not cover campus-specific fees, the expense of books, parking or room, and board. There are four plans under which dependents of veterans may be eligible.

For Undergraduates: For UCI Tuition and Fees, the CalVet Fee Waiver only waives the “Tuition” and the “Student Services Fee” items, as seen on https://www.reg.uci.edu/fees/. Students and/or parents are still responsible for all other fees.

For Graduates: For UCI Tuition and Fees, the CalVet Fee Waiver only waives the “Tuition” and the “Student Services Fee” items including the Supplemental Tuition for Professional School programs. Programs listed as “Self-Supporting” are not eligible to use the CalVet Fee Waiver. For a list of these programs, please visit https://www.reg.uci.edu/fees/. 

For Summer Session: All student veterans and dependents receiving a CalVet College Fee Waiver can enroll by requesting digital enrollment forms from summer-coursechanges@uci.edu. In your email, please state the education benefit you wish to apply to your enrollment and a Summer Session Operator will send you a digital enrollment form via email through DocuSign. Once your form is filled out and signed, the Summer Session team will review and process it. Please be aware that an outstanding balance will be reflected on your account until Summer Session adds the credit. The credit should be applied to your account 3-5 business days after submission of documents to the Summer Session office.

Apply: To apply for this benefit, please follow the College Fee Waiver website: https://www.calvet.ca.gov/VetServices/pages/college-fee-waiver.aspx. Scroll to the bottom of the webpage under “How to Apply” to complete your application and submit to your local County Veterans Service Office.

Required Forms:

The CalVet College Fee Waiver Application needs to be submitted to your County Veterans Services Office prior to the start of the academic year. Once you receive your approval letter, please upload a copy to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (OFAS) secure website (instructions below) beginning July 1, 2022. Please note that you only need to submit the letter once an academic year. 

• FAFSA Filers: Please follow this link for instructions on how to upload your 2022-23 CalVet College Fee Waiver letter beginning July 1, 2022.
• Non-FAFSA Filers: If you did not submit a 2022-23 FAFSA, you must fax your CalVet College Fee Waiver Letter to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (OFAS) at (949) 824-4876.
• Direct all questions regarding your waiver to the OFAS at fafiscal@uci.edu. 

Please note that the CalVet College Fee Waiver is a state education benefit. As a result, it waives “Tuition” and the “Student Services Fee” only. Please refer to the chart of fees for the current academic year at https://www.reg.uci.edu/fees/ to review these covered benefits and how much you may still owe before the payment fee deadline. Students are still responsible to pay for all other fees and charges, including lab fees or technology fees incurred during the term. 

Still have questions? Check out our FAQs.

Website: http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/mgib_ad.asp

Qualifications: The MGIB-Active Duty program (Chapter 30) provides education benefits to veterans and service members who have at least two years of active duty. Chapter 30 may be used for a variety of programs and you may receive up to 36 months of education benefits.

Apply: Apply by filling out VA Form 22-1990 (Application for Education Benefits) at http://www.vets.gov/.

Required Forms:

• Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
• Request for Certification (RFC) Form
  • Note: You must submit this form annually if you wish to continue receiving your benefits for that term.

Website: http://www.benefits.va.gov/vocrehab/index.asp

Benefit Detail: Service members expecting a discharge that is other than dishonorable who possess a VA memorandum or Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) rating of 20 percent or more—as well as service members currently going through a Physical Evaluation Board—may be eligible to receive VR&E services. VR&E services help with job training, employment accommodations, resume development, and job seeking skills coaching. 

Apply: Apply by filling out VA Form 22-1990 (Application for Education Benefits) at https://www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/.

Required Forms:

• Authorization Form (provided by your Chapter 31 Counselor and can be uploaded here)
  • Note: Two separate Authorization Forms are required to process your Chapter 31 benefits. Please provide the information below to your Chapter 31 Counselor. 
• Tuition, Fees, and Parking 

Vendor: UCI

Tax ID/Vendor Code: 952226406-02 (AAA357541903)

Facility Code: 11800105

Email: carmela.rodriguez@uci.edu

• Books and Supplies

Vendor: Barnes & Noble Education

Tax ID/Vendor Code: 46-0599018

Facility Code: 11800105

Email: SM8206@bncollege.com

* Please email The Hill (UCI Bookstore) Staff by emailing them to inquire about receiving your books and supplies. You can contact them at SM8206@bncollege.com to discuss your request. 

• Request for Certification (RFC) Form
  • Note: You must submit this form annually if you wish to continue receiving your benefits for that term.
  • For graduate students, please have your graduate advisor complete the Academic Advisor Section prior to submitting to our office.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Payments for USHIP/GSHIP are not allowed per VA Policy M28R, Part V, Section A, Chapter 5 Revised November 19, 2015. As a result, student veterans that decide to use USHIP/GSHIP will need to cover this cost through means other than VA education benefits. Questions regarding this policy should be directed to a student veteran’s Voc Rehab Counselor. For information about waiving your UC Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), please contact the UCI Student Health Center. 

Website: http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_gibill.asp

Qualifications: To qualify for chapter 33, you must have at least 90 days of aggregate active duty service after Sept. 10, 2001 or 30 days if you were discharged with a service connected disability. You may be on active duty, or be an honorably discharged Veteran.

Benefit Detail: The Post-9/11 GI Bill® provides up to 36 months of education benefits, generally payable for 15 years following your release from active duty. Benefits may include a monthly housing allowance, an annual books and supplies stipend, and a one-time rural benefit payment.

Apply: Apply by filling out VA Form 22-1990 (Application for Education Benefits) at http://www.vets.gov/.

Required Forms:

• Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
• Request for Certification (RFC) Form
  • Note: You must submit this form annually if you wish to continue receiving your benefits for that term.
  • For graduate students, please have your graduate advisor complete the Academic Advisor Section prior to submitting to our office.

Website: http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_transfer.asp

Benefit Detail: The option to transfer this education benefit is open to any member of the armed forces active duty or Selected Reserve, officer or enlisted who is eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, and meets the necessary criteria. The transferability option allows service members to transfer all or some unused benefits to their spouse or dependent children.

The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship) provides Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits to the children and surviving spouses of Servicemembers who died in the line of duty while on active duty after September 10, 2001. Eligible beneficiaries attending school may receive up to 36 months of benefits at the 100% level.

***For Out-of-State Students inquiring about In-State Tuition, please visit Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act (VACAA) of 2014 and contact our office.

Apply: In order to transfer unused benefits to a spouse or dependent, sponsors must fill out a Transfer of Education Benefit request form. After the transfer is approved, dependents must complete an application for benefits as well (Form 22-1990E) at http://www.vets.gov/.

Required Forms:

• Certificate of Eligibility (COE) 
• Request for Certification (RFC) Form
  • Note: You must submit this form annually if you wish to continue receiving your benefits for that term.
  • For graduate students, please give this form to your Academic Advisor prior to submitting to our office.

Website: http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/dea.asp

Qualification: The Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program offers education and training opportunities to eligible dependents of Veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to a service-related condition or of Veterans who died while on active duty or as a result of a service-related condition. 

Apply: To apply, complete VA Form 22-5490, Dependents Application for VA Education Benefits, at http://www.vets.gov/.

Required Forms:

• Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
• Request for Certification Form
  • Note: You must submit this form annually if you wish to continue receiving your benefits for that term.
  • The VA Case/File Number needs to be the Sponsor’s SSN in order to process the certification. We cannot process without it.

Website: http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/mgib_sr.asp

Benefit Detail: MGIB-SR program provides education and training benefits to eligible members of the Selected Reserve, including the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve, and the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard. Eligibility for this program is determined by the Selected Reserve components and VA makes the payments.

Apply: To apply, obtain the DD Form 2384-1, Notice of Basic Eligibility from your unit  when you become eligible for the program. Then complete VA Form 22-1990 (Application for Education Benefits) at http://www.vets.gov/.

Required Forms:

• Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
• Request for Certification Form
  • Note: You must submit this form annually if you wish to continue receiving your benefits for that term.

Website: http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/reap.asp

Qualification: REAP provides educational assistance to members of the Reserve components called or ordered to active duty in response to a war or national emergency declared by the president or Congress.

Benefit Detail: The National Defense Authorization Act of 2016 ended REAP on November 25, 2015. Some individuals will remain eligible for REAP benefits until November 25, 2019, while others are no longer eligible for REAP benefits. This change affects beneficiaries differently, please refer to the VA website for more information.

Required Forms:

• Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
• Request for Certification Form
  • Note: You must submit this form annually if you wish to continue receiving your benefits for that term.