Veteran Education Benefits

VA Education Benefits are certified by the Veterans Benefits Unit in the Office of the Registrar.

Veterans Benefits Unit Contact

Office of the Registrar
123 Sproul Hall
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-5404
Phone: 510-642-1592
Fax: 510-643-4222
veteransbenefits@berkeley.edu

Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m.

Federal VA Education Benefits

Determining Eligibility

For Degree Programs

  1. Locate your degree program in the Berkeley Catalog.
  2. Check the VA’s WEAMS (Web Enabled Approval Management System) to ensure your degree program has been approved for VA educational benefits. 

For Students

  • Elegibility for veteran’s educational benefits is determined by the VA, not by UC Berkeley.
  • You must apply for veteran’s educational benefits via the VA’s website. 
  • Detailed information about different types of benefits is available on the GI Bill website. Use the Benefit Comparison Tool to determine which program is best for you. 

Initiating VA Education Benefits on Campus

All Students

Submit the Veteran Services Intake form on CalCentral eForms. (My Dashboard > Student Resources > Submit and Manage eForms > eForms Center > Submit and eForm > Veteran Services Intake).
You will be prompted to upload your documentation:

  • Chapter 30, 33, or 35: Certificate of Eligibility.
  • Chapter 31: Your Veterans Readiness and Employment (VRE) counselor’s name and email address. If available, please provide your purchase order (PO) number in the notes section.
  • Chapter 1606: Notice of Basic Eligibility.

Note: This step is usually only completed once.

Graduate Students Only

Email the Graduate Veterans Education Plan (PDF)(PDF file)(link is external) to veteranservices@berkeley.edu. This form must be submitted before your second term can be certified. It must be reviewed and signed by your advisor.

Certification Request

All students must request certification of benefits every semester by submitting the VA Enrollment Certification Request form on Cal Central (My Dashboard > Student Resources > Submit and Manage eForms > eForms Center > Submit and eForm > VA Enrollment Certification).

Note: You must complete this form every semester.

State of California Veteran Education Benefits

Cal Vet College Fee Waiver

The College Tuition Fee Waiver for Veteran Dependents benefit waives mandatory system-wide tuition and fees at any State of California Community College, California State University, or University of California campus.

Students must apply and be found eligible by the California Department of Veterans Affairs. Students should contact their County Veteran Service Office to apply.

Initiating the Cal Vet College Fee Waiver on Campus

If found eligible for the Cal Vet College Fee Waiver, a student will receive a Cal Vet College Fee Waiver Authorization Code Letter that must be submitted to veteransbenefits@berkeley.edu.