California College Fee Waiver Program

In gratitude for their service, the CAL-VET California Department of Veterans Affairs College Fee Waiver (CCFW) Program provides higher education benefits to the dependents of service-connected disabled or deceased veterans.

Eligibility

Eligible CCFW benefit recipients include dependent children, a spouse, Registered Domestic Partner (RDP) or the un-remarried surviving spouse or RDP of a veteran with a service-connected disability or of a deceased veteran whose death was service connected.

Eligible students are:

Residents of the State of California,
Awarded benefits on an academic year basis; and
Required to reapply each year for continued benefits.

Colleges included in the CCFW program are:

University of California campuses
California State Universities
State of California Community Colleges

Requirements

Students must meet all of the requirements of at least one of the following three plans:

Plan	Eligibility	Income	Age	Other
A	Child, spouse, Registered Domestic Partner (RDP) or un-remarried surviving spouse or RDP of a veteran who is disabled or has died of service-related causes during a qualifying war period.	No income restrictions	The child must obtain eligibility before the age of 21, be over 14 years old and under 27 years old unless the child is also a veteran, then the period is extended to age 30. No age limit for a spouse, RDP, or un-remarried surviving spouse.	A student cannot receive U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Chapter 35 and CCFW benefits during the same academic year.
B	Child of a veteran who has a service-connected disability or has died of service-related causes.	Child's annual income cannot exceed $13,465* for the school academic year 2020-21.	No age limit	*Defined as the total of adjusted gross income plus the value of parental support during the previous year. The amount is changed each academic year, call 805-477-5155 to obtain the current amount or go online to CAL-VET California College Fee Waiver Program.
C	Any dependent, spouse, Registered Domestic Partner (RDP), or un-remarried surviving spouse of a member of the California National Guard who is permanently disabled, died of a disability resulting from an event that occurred while in active service or has died while in active service of the state.	No income limit.	No age limit.	Active service of the state means a member of the California National Guard activated under Section 146 of the Military and Veterans Code.

Application & Required Forms

To apply for the California College Fee Waiver program, the student must submit a completed application along with the following forms:

Proof of relationship between veteran and student/dependent, e.g. birth certificate or marriage certificate
A copy of the veteran’s Department of Veterans Affairs or Department of Defense award letter

For students applying for Plan A, B, C, or D benefits:

Previous year’s federal income tax form 1040 or state form 540
If the student is married, a copy of the joint tax return and copies of the student’s W-2s and/or 1099s must be provided to show the dependent’s income does not exceed the income limit where applicable
If the student reports an Adjusted Gross Income of $0 and a Value of Support of $0, a written statement explaining how the student is supporting themselves must be provided
If the student had no reportable income and did not file a tax return, you may need to request the Verification of Non-filing Letter form, from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or a statement from the Franchise Tax Board (FTB).
To obtain statements call: Local IRS Office 805-445-4771, IRS 800-829-1040, FTB 800-829-4059

Completed application packages can be mailed, faxed 805-477-5418, or hand delivered to the Veteran Services Office located at 5740 Ralston Street, Suite 304, Ventura, CA 93003. Please allow ten (10) business days for processing. Call 805-477-5155 with any questions.

California College Fee Waiver Program

California College Fee Waiver Program

Eligibility

Requirements

Application & Required Forms

For students applying for Plan A, B, C, or D benefits:

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