Frequently Asked Questions

For an accurate list of our currently approved VA programs, please visit the website below. Once you find the “University of California-Irvine,” click on the “Programs” tab. Once you are there, click on “Institution of Higher Learning” and you will see the list of our approved VA programs. https://inquiry.vba.va.gov/weamspub/buildSearchInstitutionCriteria.do.

Our expectation is that students anticipate their classes for any given academic term in accordance with both study plans and major-specific course progression. Please reach out to your academic advisor for assistance in completing your degree plan. In an effort to avoid delays in your Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) disbursement, submit a “New” Request for Certification (RFC) by our stated deadline and an “Updated” RFC with any unit and/or course changes. This will ensure we submit your request in advance and avoid delays in receipt of your benefits. 

For military-connected students using Chapter 31 and 33 benefits, tuition and fees are paid directly to the institution on behalf of the student when the enrollment certification is processed. Tuition and fees are prorated by the student’s benefit level for Chapter 33 beneficiaries. The actual net cost for in-state tuition and fees after the application of any waiver, scholarship, aid, or assistance [other than loans and funds provided under section 401(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965], provided directly to the institution and specifically designated for the sole purpose of defraying tuition and fees. This means that any tuition-specific awards you receive will be used to cover your tuition before the VA covers the remaining tuition and fees, which may reduce the amount covered by the VA but will not reduce any MHA payments or book stipends.

Yes! You won’t need to complete a new form, but you will need to send us an email at veteran@uci.edu letting us know which classes were added/dropped and the number of units so that we can update the VA with these changes.

You may receive several certification emails from the VA indicating an adjustment or amendment. Aside from having to report any enrollment changes (like unit add/drops) or grades (non-punitive grades like NPs and Ws), the VA requires us to perform a “dual certification” for Chapter 33 beneficiaries. Dual certification is the process by which a school may certify an enrollment and fill out the term dates, credit hours, and other pertinent information (claimant’s SSN, address, school facility code, etc.) after the initial enrollment certification. After the drop/add period, the VSC will submit an amended enrollment certification with the updated tuition and fees amount, if needed.

The MHA works similar to a paycheck. It is awarded after each month is completed. For example, if the student is in school for the month of September, the payment is expected to arrive within the first few days of October.

The MHA payment is prorated based on the number of days the student is under instruction. For example, in the month of September, if instruction is from September 28-30, the payment is prorated for payment of only those 3 days, which will be less than the full MHA payment.

The VACA Act is known as the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014, or also known as the Choice Act. Section 702 of the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 (“Choice Act”), requires VA to disapprove programs of education for payment of benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill® and Montgomery GI Bill®-Active Duty at public Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) if the school charges qualifying veterans and dependents tuition and fees in excess of the rate for resident students for terms beginning after July 1, 2015. Under the VACAA, the out-of-state portion of the tuition is waived. For more information, please visit http://benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_residentraterequirements.asp.

For veterans, you can qualify for the VACAA if you are living in the state of the institution regardless of your formal state of residence.

For dependents, you can qualify for the VACAA is you are using transferred benefits, living in the state of the institution regardless of your formal state of residence, OR if the sponsor is currently in active-duty service.

For more information, please visit, http://benefits.va.gov/gibill/post911_residentraterequirements.asp. 

If you are using the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, also known as Chapter 33, and qualify for the waiver, as long as you are continuously enrolled at UCI you can remain eligible for the waiver, even if you have exhausted your Chapter 33 benefits.

If you take a break from enrollment, the Registrar’s Office will need to reevaluate your eligibility for the waiver upon re-enrollment.

For Chapter 31 and 33 beneficiaries, your Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) may be reduced if you receive a non-punitive grade. The VA will not pay for units that receive a No Pass (NP), Unsatisfactory (U), or Withdrawal (W) grade (or any other non-punitive grades), as the units do not count toward your degree progress and are not factored into your GPA. Units that are graded non-punitive must be deducted from your certified unit load. If this drops you below 12 units, your MHA will be reduced accordingly and the VA will bill you for the balance.

For Chapters 35 and 1606 beneficiaries, non-punitive grades (NP, U, and W) do not need to be reported to the VA unless the punitive grade brings you below a full-time rate. For example, you are an undergraduate student enrolled in 12 units and receive a non-punitive grate (NP, U, or W) for 4 units. In this case, we would have to report the unit adjustment to the VA as a unit decrease. This would correct your enrollment to 8 units instead of 12 units. However, if you are an undergraduate student enrolled in 16 units and receive a non-punitive grade for 4 units we would not need to report a unit change to the VA since you remain over 12 units even with the reduction accounted.

University of California (UC) Education Abroad Program (UCEAP), the entity in which UC is contracted for study abroad programs, does not meet compliance requirements under H.R. 7939, as it is considered a third-party servicer. Therefore, under UCOP guidance, UCEAP courses should not be certified for eligibility. Please review below for additional information. 

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On January 5, 2022, H.R.7939 – Veterans Auto and Education was signed into law. Two sections of the bill impact the certifications of VA education benefits processes at the University of California:

Sec. 9 – Related to approval of certain study-abroad programs
Amended Sec. 3680A(f) of title 38, United States Code which detailed the requirements for approval of a study abroad course

Sec. 13 – Exception to requirements to submit enrollment verification
Amended Sec. 3313(1) of Title 38, United States Code which detailed the requirements for dual certification of VA education benefits.

This document provides guidance on complying with H.R.7939 until such time as the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs provides more explicit requirements or clarifications.

Sec. 9 – Dept of Veteran Affairs approval of certain study-abroad programs

UCEAP, the entity in which UC is contracted for study abroad programs, does not meet the covered definition as listed below, as it is considered a third-party servicer. Therefore, this amendment does not change UC’s current practices. UCEAP courses should not be certified for eligibility.

The bill defines a ‘covered study-abroad course” as:

1. a course provided as a part of a program of education offered by an educational institution under a contract or written agreement by another education institution that offers a course that is approved under this chapter;
2. with the course being provided in a location in a foreign country; and
3. the course has not been approved under this chapter

The CalVet College Fee Waiver is a state education benefit. As a result, it waives “Tuition” and “Student Services Fee” only. Please refer to the Current Chart for the academic year at https://www.reg.uci.edu/fees/ to review these covered benefits and what you may still owe before the payment fee deadline. 

NOTE: Students are still responsible for all other fees, including lab fees or technology fees incurred during the term. 

Yes! Please submit your CalVet College Fee Waiver letters to summer-coursechanges@uci.edu and you will be provided additional steps afterwards.

Yes, but only some graduate programs will qualify for the CalVet College Fee Waiver. To view all graduate programs, please visit the following tuition and fees charts: https://www.reg.uci.edu/fees/. All programs listed as “Self-Supporting” will not qualify for the CalVet College Fee Waiver. Please follow the Current Chart for the academic year and review the Fees for Self-Supporting Graduate Degree Programs section to identify programs not allowed for the CalVet College Fee Waiver. 

Yes, but it can only be used for UCEAP. It CANNOT be used for Summer Session Travel Study or IO Programs. The CalVet College Fee Waiver applies to the following UCEAP fees: UC student services, tuition, pre-ILP and ILP instructional, and UCEAP participation fees. All other fees will remain your responsibility. Submit a copy of the CalVet College Fee Waiver award letter for the current academic year to the UCEAP Student Finance unit. A separate letter is required for each academic year that you participate in UCEAP.

All student veterans and dependents receiving a CalVet College Fee Waiver, Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33), or Veteran Readiness & Employment (Chapter 31) education benefit 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. Remember to submit your Request for Certification (RFC) form if you would like to receive your VA education benefits. Deadlines to submit your RFC will be shared with military-connected students prior to the start of each Summer Session. Please ensure you review your UCI email regularly.

*If you decide to add or drop courses, please send the Veteran Services Center (VSC) an email to veteran@uci.edu with the course title and number of units you are changing so we can update your records. There is no need to complete and submit an additional RFC with changes.

At UCI, the VA pays Monthly Housing Allowances (MHA) to military-connected students using VA education benefits based on the number of units enrolled. For six-week sessions (Summer I and II), the VA will pay full-time benefits to students enrolled in 6 units or more. If you enroll in units below this threshold, then the VA will pay you a lower MHA. Military-connected students taking 12 units or more during the 10-Week Summer Session are considered full-time. Unfortunately, the VSC is not able to determine specific MHA rates. For specific questions about your MHA, please contact the GI Bill® Hotline at (888) 442-4551.

Yes. However, the student must attend the program for which the deposit was made to. If the student chooses not to attend the program or they decide to enroll in a different program, then the deposit cannot be refunded.

As of December 22, 2022, the full-time rate of pursuit for graduate students is described by the policy below:

Training Time for VA Education Benefits
VA education benefits are paid according to training time status. During the standard terms (fall, winter, and spring quarters) undergraduates are considered ‘full-time’ for VA purposes if they are in at least 12 certifiable units. Graduate students are considered ‘full-time’ for VA purposes if they are in 8 or more certifiable units. See the equivalency chart below to determine the status that is ‘full-time’ for standard terms. 

Training Time        Credit Hours Undergraduate        Credit Hours Graduate
Full-time                 12 or more                                         8 or more  
¾ time                     9-11                                                  6-8
½ time                     6-8                                                    4-5
<½, >¼                     4-5                                                    3
¼ time                      3 or less                                          1-2 or less

Any terms prior to December 22, 2022, will continue to follow UCI’s Graduate Division Enrollment Policy to determine rate of pursuit:

Full-time academic enrollment is expected of graduate students at the University of California. Study for the Ph.D. requires a full-time commitment from the doctoral student. Full-time study is defined as enrollment in at least 12 units of upper-division or graduate academic credit per quarter, including credit for supervised research or teaching. Graduate students may enroll in lower-division courses with the approval of their academic advisors, but such courses are not considered to be part of any graduate program. Graduate students ordinarily may not receive credit for more than 12 units per quarter in graduate courses, or 16 units in upper-division courses, or a proportionate number in combination. Course loads in excess of 16 units must be approved in advance by the student’s Graduate Advisor. If a program’s full-time status deviates from the 12-unit policy, it must be expressed in the UCI Catalogue and approved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Non-standard term courses are courses that do not last the entire length of a given quarter. For example, some Paul Merage School of Business (PMBS) programs offer accelerated courses that only last 2-4 consecutive days instead of lasting the entire quarter. These courses are only certified according to their non-standard dates of instruction.

Before starting the academic quarter, please discuss your inquiry with your graduate advisor. Your graduate advisor will note your instruction dates to our office on the Graduate Advisor Form (GAF). You should receive a finalized copy of the GAF through a DocuSign email, but you can always request a copy by emailing us at veteran@uci.edu.

The receipt of full-time Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) is determined by the VA and is impacted by standard term course dates, non-standard term course dates (if enrolled in any such courses), and number of units. Graduate students will only receive full-time MHA for the length of time in which they are enrolled in 8 units or more. Please note, any terms prior to December 22, 2022, require you to enroll in 12 units or more to receive a full-time rate of MHA.

Example 1: If you are taking 8 units throughout a standard term, then you will receive full-time MHA.

Example 2: If you are taking 8 units, but 4 units are for a non-standard term course, meaning a course that does not take place the whole term, you will not receive full-time MHA. Even though you are taking 8 units, the non-standard term dates will impact your MHA. This means that the VA will likely prorate your MHA for the full length of the term for 4 units and increase your eligibility to 8 units only for overlapping dates.

*Note to be eligible for a MHA payment your Rate of Pursuit must be more than 50 percent. For example, under an 8 unit threshold you must be enrolled in 5 units to receive a MHA payment.

For specific information about MHA entitlement after the VSC processes your certification, please contact the GI Bill® Hotline at (888) 442-4551 during normal business hours.

Once we are ready to certify you for an academic term, we will reach out to the academic advisor indicated on your Request for Certification (RFC) form. We will send them the Graduate Advisor Form (GAF) where they will be able to provide our office with accurate dates for any non-standard term courses. Before starting the academic quarter, please discuss your inquiry with your graduate advisor. Your graduate advisor will note your instruction dates to our office on the GAF. You should receive a finalized copy of the GAF through a DocuSign email, but you can always request a copy by emailing us at veteran@uci.edu.

If a particular program is considered full-time at less than 12 units, it must be expressed in the UCI General Catalogue within the Graduate Division’s Enrollment Policy and approved by the VA.

First, call the GI Bill® Hotline (888-442-4551) to verify if they have determined that you have incurred debt. On occasion, debt letters are sent automatically although no debt may be incurred by the military-connected students. Second, if the VA determines that you have incurred debt, contact the VSC as soon as possible so we may review your certifications and assist in responding to the VA.

UCI Undergraduate Admissions

UC will waive application fees for up to four campuses for qualified students who would otherwise be unable to apply for admission. The fee waiver program is for United States citizens, permanent residents, and applicants eligible for AB540 benefits.

Fee waivers can’t be applied to more than four campuses, regardless of their source (e.g., UC, CollegeBoard/SAT). If you apply to more than four, you’ll need to pay $70 for each additional choice.

You can see if you automatically qualify for a fee waiver within the application. If you enter your family size and income in the “About You” section, you will see if you’ve qualified for an application fee waiver when you select your campuses in the “Campuses & Majors” section (a message will appear on that page with real-time feedback about how many campuses you can apply to for free). 

More information can be found on the UC Undergraduate Admissions webpage here: https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply-now.html. 

UCI Graduate Admissions

Fee waivers are available for fall quarter admission for up to two state supported programs only. They are open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and DACA/AB540 eligible only; international students are not eligible. Eligibility is based on program participation, financial need or US veteran status and is determined by completion of the online application. If, based on information provided on the application, an applicant is determined to be eligible to apply for a waiver, instructions will be presented on the application itself. This will allow you to upload your required document(s) (see below) and submit your application. Your application will not be reviewed until a fee waiver is granted or the fee is paid. Please note that waivers are not automatically granted.

U.S. military veterans with an Honorable or General Discharge are eligible for the Application Fee Waiver with the UCI Graduate Division. A Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214) is required for proof of military service. More information can be found on the UCI Graduate Admissions webpage here: https://grad.uci.edu/admissions/application-fee-fee-waivers/. 

You will need to fill out a Verification Form for proof of enrollment at UCI. Please fill out the following document: http://reg.uci.edu/services/verifications/verificationsrequest.pdf and email it to lmrafael@uci.edu.

The Request for Certification (RFC) Form needs to be completed every quarter or semester for which you would like to use your Chapter 31, 33, 35, or 1606 education benefits. Our office will certify you for the number of units, rate of pursuit, and whether you waive the health insurance (i.e, USHIP, GSHIP) as indicated in your RFC form. Any changes in your course workload, such as unit increases or decreases, or changes in health insurance waivers, should be emailed to the VSC at veteran@uci.edu so that we can record and file. 

• Request for Certification (RFC) Form for Undergraduate Students

Graduate students, please make sure to provide your academic advisor’s contact information on the RFC submission page. UCI School of Law students are required to use their UCI email address ending in “@uci.edu” and not their “@lawnet.uci.edu” email address. Please use the UCI Directory to identify your official UCI email. UCI Paul Merage School of Business students may be required to complete an additional RFC if the course takes place during a non-standard term. Please contact your Academic Advisor if you have any questions or believe that you are enrolled in a non-standard term course. 

• Request for Certification (RFC) Form for Graduate Students

To request a deferral of your SIR deposit to UC Irvine, use the Contact Your Counselor link on your Applicant Status Portal.