College Tuition Fee Waiver

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The College Tuition Fee Waiver for Veterans' Dependents waives mandatory system-wide tuition and fees at any State of California Community College, Campus of the University of California, or Campus of the California State University system. This program does not cover expenses like books, housing and parking. The student must meet the in-state residency requirements as determined by the school. The Veteran is not required to submit any proof of residency.

Academic Year varies for each school and it is the responsibility of the student to verify the Academic Year for the college they are applying to.

Alert

Updates regarding 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 allow the OCVSO to accept.  The correct DVS-40 form will auto-populate with the appropriate student/veteran information when using our online VSO College Fee Waiver Application.

 

Updates regarding Proof of Income

Student who claim non-filing status are required to obtain a non-filing letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or Franchise Tax Board (FTB). Non-Filing letters will not be accepted before this year’s tax deadline of Monday, April 15, 2024.

Please Note: many IRS and/or FTB offices do not issue non-filing letters until after June 30th.

Note: 

  • Student's Annual Gross Income (AGI) for 2024-2025 Academic Year is: $21,561
  • Student’s Annual Gross Income (AGI) for 2023-2024 Academic Year is: $15,225

Which Plan should I apply under?

The Orange County Veterans Service Office processes two different types of College Fee Waivers: Plan A and Plan B. To learn more about CalVet's breakdown of these plans, please visit: https://www.calvet.ca.gov/VetServices/pages/college-fee-waiver.aspx.

ALL APPLICANTS MUST COMPLETE AND SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING REQUIRED DOCUMENTS EACH ACADEMIC YEAR:

If Veteran is deceased

If Veteran is deceased, please complete VSD-021 Non-Veteran Signature Certification for DVS 40 which can be found below. Upload the complete form along with other required documents to the uploaded documents section on the Orange County College Tuition Fee Waiver portal.

Form Description Note
VSD-021-Non-Veteran Signature Certification for DVS-40 Explanation of Why Veteran is Unable to Sign DVS 40 Application If veteran is deceased, a copy of veteran’s death certificate is required. If spouse applying under Plan A, documentation that verifies the explanation is required.

How to apply for the College Tuition Fee Waiver

  • Applications MUST be complete with all the required supporting documents. Incomplete applications will be Rejected
  • All College Fee Waiver applications submitted to the OC Veterans Service Office are processed through our NEW automated system, please see link below to submit your application.
  • Please upload all supporting documents in PDF format. All files not to exceed 10 MB. All other file formats (JPEG, JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF) will not be accepted.
  • Please allow 14 business days for processing. Notification of acceptance and eligibility will be generated electronically through the email provided on the application.
  • Once approved, eligible students will receive an email from Noreply@vetpro.us containing the College Fee Waiver Redemption Letter. Student MUST provide a copy to their respective college campuses. The OC Veterans Service Office does not email eligibility letters directly to students or their colleges/ universities.

    Note: Please be advised that when a waiver is granted, many schools do not waive summer sessions. Students taking classes during the summer will have to pay all tuition and fees if the college does not waive the summer session.

  • Should you have any questions regarding any of the required documents listed in the links, please contact the Veterans Service Office at ocvso@occr.ocgov.com.