2025-2026 Newly Admitted Students

CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME TO UC BERKELEY

US Military flags in front of the Sather Tower at UC Berkeley

Congratulations on becoming a Golden Bear! 

The Cal Veteran Services Center (CVSC) congratulates you and your family on this amazing accomplishment.  We look forward to connecting and engaging with you in-person and virtually over the next few months as you plan the next steps of your academic career. This page serves to inform and help you navigate your next steps. 

Connect with us:

Summer 2025 

In-Person

Cal Veteran Services Center (102 Hearst Memorial Gym(link is external))

Email: veterancenter@berkeley.edu

Phone: (510) 642-0083

Check out our Bulletin Board: https://padlet.com/calvets/cal-veteran-services-center-bulletin-board-zwybks8i34clmljq

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/3P7NhfKKR8

Social Media: @cvscucberkeley

Connect with Luis Hernandez, Director: luish@berkeley.edu or click here to schedule a meeting.

Upcoming Events:

VA Education Benefits at UC Berkeley for Former and Current Service Members Webinar

Stair leading into Hearst Memorial Gym
Cal Veteran staff

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US

The CVSC expands access and empowers veteran and military-connected student engagement at UC Berkeley.  Our work engages individuals and the broader community to facilitate a transformational higher education experience for 600+ veterans and military-connected students.

We invite you to explore veteran.berkeley.edu for more information and services offered.

Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence (CE3)

The Cal Veteran Services Center is part of the Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence(CE3). The Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence ensure non-traditional students excel at the top public University in the world. By respecting every undergraduate as a unique individual, CE3 programs empower UC Berkeley students to achieve and lead. CE3 is comprised of several programs and centers. For more information please visit ce3.berkeley.edu.

NEXT STEPS FROM ADMISSIONS

We know many of you have been admitted to other universities in addition to UC Berkeley and are receiving many messages. It may feel overwhelming, but it is important to keep on top of the messages received as they contain very important information.

Admissions Counselor and Academic Update Form
Be sure to read emails and your student portals carefully. You have been assigned an Admissions Counselor that can provide further assistance. If any changes have occurred to your academic situation, please be sure to fill out the Academic Update Form which can be found on your My Application Portal (MAP) or on Cal Central (if you have already accepted your offer of admissions).

Waitlist
If you have been waitlisted, make sure you accept the waitlist offer and accept your offer of admission to another institution you have been accepted to.

Class Enrollment
You will have the opportunity to select classes when you complete online advising in June.

Those that serve or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces will receive priority enrollment for Spring 2026 and semesters after that.  Please note that you must have completed at least 90 days of active duty service, excluding Basic and Advanced Technical Training.

VA EDUCATION BENEFITS

Welcome from UC Berkeley’s Veterans Benefits unit in the Office of the Registrar.

Veterans Benefits provides veterans and their dependents with the information and assistance required to seamlessly receive veterans’ educational benefits while pursuing their academic careers at UC Berkeley. Our staff serves as a liaison between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Berkeley students eligible for federal veterans’ educational benefits. We also assist students eligible for the California Department of Veterans Affairs College Fee Waiver (Cal Vet) program. 

registrar.berkeley.edu/veterans-benefits

Initiating Veteran Education Benefits

Federal VA Education Benefits

Step 1:

Students must submit an Application for VA Education Benefits or a Change of Place of Training Form to receive a Certificate of Eligibilty, which can be done on https://www.va.gov/(link is external).  A Notice of Basic Eligibility can be attained from a student's unit.

Step 2:

Submit the Veteran Services Intake Request form on Cal Central:

  • As part of the form you will be prompted to upload the following:
    • Chapter 30, 33, or 35: Certificate of Eligibility
    • Chapter 31: Your Veterans Readiness and Employment (VRE) counselor's name and email address
      • If possible provide your Purchase Order (PO) Number
    • Chapter 1606: Notice of Basic Eligibility
    • Graduate students only: Graduate Veterans Education Plan(PDF file)(link is external) (This form must be submitted before your second term can be certified and needs to be reviewed and signed by an advisor from your college.)

Step 3:

On CalCentral, submit VA Enrollment Certification Request each semester you are requesting certification.  Benefits are processed in the order they are received.

Screen capture image of VA Enrollment Certification Request link that appears on Cal Central.

Cal Vet College Fee Waiver

Step 1:

Apply for benefit with your local Veterans Services Office(link is external) (VSO).

Step 2:

If found eligibile you will be provided an Authorization Code Letter by the VSO that you will provide to the School Certifying Official, veteranservices@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail).

*A new Authorization Code Letter must be submitted each academic year.  Student must meet residency requirement as determined by the university.

STUDENT BUDGET (COST OF ATTENDANCE) AND FINANCIAL AID 

Cost of Attendance is your student budget. Your budget is the estimated average and reasonable cost of completing an academic year at UC Berkeley. Your budget serves as the foundation for determining your financial need as well as the amount of qualified aid, including grants and scholarships, that can be offered to you.

Cost of attendance figures are established through student surveys and other research and may include the components below:

  • Tuition and fees (assuming full-time attendance)

  • Books and supplies

  • Room and board

  • Personal costs

  • Transportation

  • Health insurance (can be waived if enrolled in equivalent coverage)

Actual education related expenses vary depending on your individual needs.

Visit https://financialaid.berkeley.edu/how-aid-works/student-budgets-cost-of-attendance/ for more information regarding direct costs charged by UC Berkeley and estimated education and personal expenses.

Your financial aid package budgets for tuition and fees and education related expenses found on the student budget. If you qualify, financial aid offered to you will cover the total cost of attendance. Financial aid packages are based on your FAFSA , are need based, and include aid in the following forms: gift aid, work-study, loan, parent loans (dependent students), department awards, GSI/GSR positions (graduate students).

You have been awarded a conditional financial aid package, which will not be finalized until later in the summer. Financial aid packages are conditional until you have verified and provided certain documents to the university such as income verification or proof of California residency.

Graduate students: funding varies from department to department, check with them regarding funding they will provide.

FINANCIAL AID AND VA EDUCATION FUNDS

Undergraduate students utilizing Chapter 33 GI Bill Benefits and Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Education benefits that they earned through their military service are able to maximize both their VA Education benefits and financial aid awarded to them. During the Fall semester the CVSC will host workshops regarding how to fully maximize these benefits using the Cost of Attendance Adjustment Request.

A note for students utilizing the Cal Vet College Tuition Fee Waiver: as this is a waiver of system-wide tuition and fees, your need/student budget will be reduced by the waiver amount resulting in your financial aid package being reduced by an equal amount.

Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) is optional and can be waived with proof of insurance that is equivalent to SHIP or better. Chapter 33 GI Bill does pay for SHIP, we recommend you keep this even if you have health insurance from another provider. If you waive SHIP, the funds the VA would have sent over to cover that will be reduced by an equal amount. Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment does not pay for SHIP (VR&E). Your financial aid package may still cover the cost of SHIP.

Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition Fee Waiver 
Students utilizing Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill or Transfer of Entitlement Chapter 33 GI Bill (transferred to a spouse or dependent), Chapter 31 Veterans Readiness & Employment, or Chapter 35 Dependents Educational Assistance are eligible to receive a waiver of the Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition. Additionally, students utilizing Transfer of Entitlement Chapter 33 GI Bill Benefits whose sponsor is still on active duty will receive the Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition Waiver. You will maintain this waiver even if Chapter 33 GI Bill benefits expire if you remain continuously enrolled during your time at UC Berkeley (not taking a Fall or Spring semester off).

HOUSING

Housing in Berkeley and the Bay Area in general is highly impacted. We recommend you begin your housing search as soon as possible. Newly admitted undergraduate students are guaranteed on campus housing so long as you keep your options open; be as open as possible with dorm option and roommates.

Undergraduates housing: housing.berkeley.edu/undergraduate-students

Graduate housing: housing.berkeley.edu/graduate

Family housing: housing.berkeley.edu/universityvillage

Off-campus options: housing.berkeley.edu/calrentals, craigslist.com

Another option for housing is the Berkeley Student Cooperative, which provides low-cost, cooperative housing community to university students: bsc.coop/about-us/our-mission

LOOKING FOR ROTC

For information and contact information on ROTC please visit their respective websites:

Air Force ROTC: airforcerotc.berkeley.edu

Army ROTC: army.berkeley.edu

Naval ROTC: nrotc.berkeley.edu