College Tuition Fee Waiver

ALL APPLICANTS MUST COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FROM THE APPLICABLE CHECKLIST FOR EACH ACADEMIC YEAR. AFTER REVIEWING THE INFORMATION BELOW, PLEASE USE THE SUBMIT BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE TO BEGIN YOUR APPLICATION.

The College Tuition Fee Waiver for Veteran Dependents waives mandatory system-wide tuition and fees at any State of California Community College, California State University, or University of California institution. This program does not cover expenses such as books, housing, or parking. Students must meet in-state residency requirements as determined by their school. Veterans do not need to submit proof of residency.

The Orange County Veterans Service Office (VSO) processes two types of College Fee Waivers: Plan A and Plan B. To learn more about the plans and their differences, visit CalVet’s website.

• Applications MUST include all required supporting documents; incomplete applications will be rejected. 
• All College Fee Waiver applications submitted to the VSO are processed through our NEW automated system. Submit your application using the link below.
• Please upload all supporting documents in PDF format; files should not exceed 10 MB. Files in other formats (JPEG, JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF) will not be accepted.
• Please allow 14 business days for processing. You will receive electronic notification of acceptance and eligibility via the email provided on your application.
• Once approved, eligible students will receive an email from Noreply@vetpro.us with the College Fee Waiver Redemption Letter. The student MUST provide a copy to their respective college campuses. The VSO does not email eligibility letters directly to students or their colleges/universities.
• Be aware that many schools do not waive summer session fees. Students may have to pay tuition and fees if their college does not waive the summer session. Academic Year schedules vary by school. It is the student’s responsibility to verify the dates for the college they are applying to.
• If you have any questions about the required documents, please contact the VSO at ocvso@occr.ocgov.com.

College Tuition/Fee Waiver Form (DVS-40)

• Effective February 5, 2024, the updated College Tuition/Fee Waiver form (DVS-40) dated 01/24 is the only form CalVet will accept. This form auto-populates with the student/Veteran information when using our online VSO College Fee Waiver Application.

 Proof of Income

• Students claiming non-filing status MUST obtain a non-filing letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or Franchise Tax Board (FTB).
  • FTB letters will not be accepted before April 15, 2026.
  • IRS letters will not be accepted before June 30, 2026.

Note: IRS and FTB will issue the letters; however, VSO cannot accept the letters per CalVet until the dates listed above.

Annual Gross Income (AGI) Limits 

• For the 2026-2027 Academic Year, the student's AGI is $22,941.
• For the 2025-2026 Academic Year, the student's AGI is $22,273.

• Please complete form VSD-021 Non-Veteran Signature Certification for DVS 40. Upload the completed form along with other required documents in the Orange County College Tuition Fee Waiver portal.
• You MUST provide a copy of the Veteran’s death certificate. If the spouse is applying under Plan A, additional documentation is required.

Remember, complete applications following the outlined requirements above will ensure efficient processing of your application.